IT was a delight to hear Anjum Hasan, the author herself reading several passages from her latest book, Neti Neti (meaning “not that, not that”) on its auspicious launch at the Madras Terrace house on Friday night.
After her debut with Lunatic in my Head, Anjum Hasan has already attracted ardent fans from all over, and Neti Neti, her latest venture, has been listed for the prestigious Man Asian Literary Prize, 2008.
Talking to Manjula Padmanabhan, Anjum expressed her views and experiences in fulfilling Neti Neti, which is the story of a small town girl, Sophie, moving to a metro.
It almost reflected the author herself, as Sophie belonged to Shillong before moving to Bangalore just like Anjum, where she experienced strong feelings towards the life and the people. The story revolves around Sophie who was a sort of an ethnic mix, which in a way was keeping herself inside the life in a metro. A blend of soulful and entertaining renditions of her experiences, following how Sophie faces the challenges showered on her is engrossing.
Talking about the book and the lead character, Anjum was really excited.
“Writing, for me is a matter of instinct and Neti Neti is also a book of vignettes and moods, with chapter titles often reflecting Sophie’s state of mind,” she said.
Asked about her personal experiences with the preparation of both the books she’s written, Anjum found herself more relaxed with the first one. The lack of expectations and being unaware about the complexities involved in getting a book released kept her calm and cool during the first venture.
The author also shared her views on several aspects of social and cultural richness of the Northeast, which remains unexplored in many ways. “We have an active poetic scene in Shillong,” she said. “There are more writers expected to come from the Northeast.”