BENGALURU: For more than 12 years, she has been suffering from macular degeneration--, an eye disease that causes vision loss. However, she hasn’t let the ailment get the better of her, instead, she’s armed herself with grit and determination to brave all odds. Meet Poile Sengupta, a Bengaluru-based writer whose book titled A Time for Ebby, published by Karadi Tales, is ready to hit the market early next month.
Set in modern times with a focus on clock-making in Europe, A Time of Ebby tells the story of Ebby, who belongs to a family of clock-makers; they have been making grandfather clocks for generations. However, there are some hidden secrets that Ebby unearths which could be an eye-opener for her. “The story deals with clocks and time. It is about a family that makes grandfather clocks, what it means to them and how they have grown up with them. On a visit to California, I also saw a grandmother clock. Suddenly, the gender barrier became important to me, which is reflected in the book,” says Sengupta, whose work also tells the tale of breaking family tradition, and entrepreneurship.
Although her vision is a major cause of concern, it doesn’t deter her from doing what she’s best at. “Due to my eye problem, I do a lot of writing in my mind before typing it out. I am pretty much living like a hermit. I can’t network as some youngsters do. But there is a demon in me that makes me write,” says Sengupta, whose husband Abhijit Sengupta, a retired IAS officer, assists her in the writing journey.
The book attempts to take the readers on a journey of clocks and explores the mechanics behind the objects. “Many people see only the needles when they see a clock. But during my research, I learned how grandfather clocks are manufactured and the types of machinery used. It also addresses the use of mechanics to run them, contrary to the battery cells that we use today that are harmful to the environment,” says Sengupta, adding that she adopted a new style of writing that is in sync with these times.
“It was a challenge to write this book, partly because of my eye problem. Besides, it is not an Indian-based book, so I was careful with words; I had to create an atmosphere that binds different aspects of the story together. It is set in autumn that is gloomy with the sun not apparent. Writing this book was way out of my comfort zone,” says Sengupta, who recently wrote an online play Rules of Engagement. “I’m just trying to keep abreast of the latest trend,” she says.