Bahrain-based author and poet Nivedita Roy’s book of 30 thought-provoking essays hit shelves this month.
“Vignettes – A Montage of Creativity” shows her perspectives, observations and biographical reflections that she compiled over a period of two years.
“Some of the essays were written based on specific prompts (posted as part of online writing competitions), and some were inspired by real experiences,” the Indian expat from Lucknow told GulfWeekly.
“One of the essays is about the unsung heroes of Bahrain who helped during the rain chaos in April this year. Some of them are my views on certain socio-political issues in the context of my home country India. I have also touched on certain emotional issues,” she added.
The striking abstract cover by Bahrain-based artist and metal sculptor Niju Joy sums up the essence of the 100-page book.
“This abstract painting is about the ‘you’ and the ‘inner you’ coexisting. The grey in the background symbolises a journey from despair to hope, with the pink highlights showing that lighter moods can overlay darker feelings but still coexist,” revealed Niju.
Nivedita was the runner-up in the Reul International Award for Poetry last year, a title given to her by the Significant League, a group run by some of India’s elite writers, most of whom are award-winning, bestselling authors. Her poems and articles have been published in many newspapers, including the Gulf Daily News in Bahrain, as well as international publications.
After publishing four collections of poetry – two each in English and Hindi – and a collection of short stories, and contributing to 34 anthologies, Nivedita decided to venture into essays.
“Poems are beautiful, but in my essays I paused for beauty and became bold. I wanted to speak out on some relevant issues and have collected a few soulful doodles over the last two years,” the 53-year-old explained her decision to branch out.
An excerpt from Vignettes – A Montage of Creativity reads:
“We live in our spaces, these spaces occupy the universe and as we speak, move, interact, share this space with other inhabitants. We mix, but we do not intertwine. As a teacher, I could create an anthology of anecdotes about how some of my students took a different point of view. Some bring back a smile, others are still uncomfortable even in memory.”
Nivedita’s passion for writing started at a young age as her father was also a scholar and writer. She grew up editing his works and as a teenager, she even wrote herself, although she did not appreciate her ‘doodles’.
“I wrote everything down in my personal diary, which then spent the winter in the closet,” she said.
After devoting years to writing, Nivedita published her first book during the Covid-19 pandemic and hasn’t looked back since. The bilingual author draws inspiration from a range of themes for her work.
“Nature, suffering, happiness… everything inspires me. Women’s issues, injustice and stereotypes are also very close to my heart and I express them openly,” added the Al Raja School teacher.
Nivedita lives in Adliya with her husband Allen, managing director of a Bahrain-based company. The couple have two children, Aanya, 27, and Alex, 23, who grew up in Bahrain but now live abroad. To pursue her passion for writing, she is active in many local writing and poetry groups, an experience she values as it has given her the opportunity to connect with writers from all over the world.
“I am fortunate to be able to stay connected with the world and hone my writing skills from my residence in Bahrain. This interaction with different writers and poets provides me with a learning platform. It also gives me the opportunity to participate in writing events like NAPOWRIMO (National Poetry Writing Month) where we expand our skills and work on inspiration from experienced and seasoned writers,” added the creative.
Although Nivedita is a versatile writer, her first love is poetry. The poet announced that she will start working on a new collection of English poems. She also plans to publish a collection of stories in Hindi.
“I also like to write in Hindustani, a good mix of Hindi and Urdu,” she said.
Nivedita’s book is available on Amazon.
Follow the author’s journey on Instagram at @nexpressions11.
