Divya Johari Resu, an author and young mother based out of Gurgaon, is ready with her debut book, Little Do We Know. The poetry format of the book is an attempt by the author to recognise and accept emotions that we experience daily. Written during her pregnancy, the book embodies the idea of striving and being alive in these dark times and never letting go. More from the interview:
Tell us more about the theme of the book.
Little Do We Know is my intended effort to make people familiar with the sentiments one goes through their existence. Often, we generalise our feelings like anger, sobbing or guilt as weaknesses rather than addressing and overcoming them by giving the due time. Through my poetry, I have labelled certain situations that we go through, but either become ignorant towards dealing with them, or engage in our own set ways. Little Do We Know is all about recognising and accepting these emotions that we experience daily, but overlook the same. I consciously hope that reading my poems and verses helps people identify what they feel, share their perspectives, and embrace the fact that emotional triggers are normal.
The emotions I underwent during my pregnancy, my willingness to pen down what I feel and experience and my wish to always have a book to my name, are what amplified my intent to write this book.
Was it challenging to find a publisher for a poetry book?
The struggle always felt real since this is my first book. You approach several publications and not always would you receive appreciation. With the nation suffering from the pandemic, very few publishing houses want to bet on new authors. After a couple of rejections, my poetry was appreciated by Synergy Books India who willingly wanted to assist me on this journey.
What was your experience as a writer in the pandemic?
Somewhat challenging. Multitasking as a writer, mom, workaholic, and homemaker was a given. To sum it up, every role I played as a woman kept me on my toes. Talking about writing in particular, while a lot of writers require peace to write, it’s the opposite with me. My three-year-old is always around, so I am mostly listening to rhymes throughout. I chose music as my ‘peace’ to fill in my writing schedules. Also, you can never sit down to write in-between particular hours for words that strike you at their convenience and not yours. I write almost every hour.
Tell us about your next book.
I want it to be a surprise. After all, I have to be dramatic since I am a poet. Jokes apart, I am building on a set of poems that talk about nature and scenic beauty. Further, I am also in the middle of launching a series of books for children.