Criticspace Journals:- Welcome to Criticspace Journals, author. Congratulations on the release of your book. What responses are you getting from your readers? Please share your experience with this book.
Biplab Sarkar:- yeah, sure! But first of all, I’d like to give a Namaskara to you, the team Criticspace for the initiative you’ve taken to highlight my writing journey. Now, if I move towards the responses I’ve been receiving since the publication of my latest book, I’ve to say that it’s been as my expectations, even more than that. Because, you know what, I’ve never expected a huge audience for my latest book “Poems of Dreams: Language of Sunset” which is a translated poetry collection from Bengali, originally written by poet Santosh Sinha. I just wanted a group of quality readers for my book because, I believe, the genre the book is possessing is not for all or common readers. I’m satisfied that lots of academics, poets whoever have gone through the book, they were utterly surprised with the work. Even, so many University professors talked to me for hours over the phone regarding this book saying that this is a work of a new discovery. Really, what else do one needs? I’m blessed enough!
Criticspace Journals:- What encourages you to become an author?
Biplab Sarkar:- As a poet (if I can be called so), I find my salvation in writing poetry. There’s no other reason left behind.
Criticspace Journals:- What are your favorite topics of writing? Please tell us something about your interest areas in the literature.
Biplab Sarkar:- As you’ve been told already that I find my salvation in poetry, I’d like to tell you again that I run my pen only to write a ‘true poem.’ ‘True poem’ doesn’t denote a poem that speaks the truth. A ‘true poem’ is a poem of an eternal call. Hardly can we reach to it. Except poetry, my another passion lives in Translation. I enjoy doing translations. Moreover, translation breaks the language-barrier and brings an exploration to dive into another language and culture.
Criticspace Journals:- We were hoping you could tell us about some of those writers who had inspired you and whom you follow!
Biplab Sarkar:- Initially I had nobody who could inspire me. It was because, neither of my predecessors were ever in this field of literature. Even, as long as I know, I myself is the first to complete a university degree in our whole lineage. But, as a student of English literature I don’t know how I started writing poetry from my college days. Later on, there were, obviously, some senior poets who I used to take inspiration from. But now a days, the best inspiration I get from my life itself only. And I strongly believe every human being should have his inspiration in his own journey of life and surrounding.
Criticspace Journals:- The title seems different and catchy, how you decided it? Please let us know the story behind it.
Biplab Sarkar:- My lately published one named “Poems of Dreams: Language of Sunset” is a translated book from Bengali. And, as it was a translation work, I had not to think much about the title of the book. The original Bengali book was named as “Swapner Kabita: Surjaster Bhasa”. The story behind the original Bengali book astonished me. Moreover, the language and inwardness of the poems in the book forces one to become an inquisitive. I just felt the poetry collection to be explored in other languages and couldn’t stay away from translating them.
Criticspace Journals:- What are your achievements so far? Tell us something about your career.
Biplab Sarkar:- I’ve been writing bengali poems seriously since last 7 years and possessing the two bengali poetry collections published formerly from the two prestigious publication houses from Kolkata I’ve have received so much love from my readers. And now, for this translated book, I’ve been loved and honoured as a translator also by many quality readers. These are all about my achievements so far in this short period of my literary career. But for your information, I’ve been honoured also with two literary Samman named “Hridoykoli Sahitya Samman” and “Alpana Kavita Samman” as a young and promising Bengali poet in my home state.
Criticspace Journals:- What is your current goal in writing a career? How do you see your future in writing?
Biplab Sarkar:- There’s nothing like something goal I’ve fixed to achieve. Serving literature is the serving Lord. And I just want to follow this ideology by doing lots of works. In future, I’d like to continue my writing of Bengali poetry and translation works simultaneously and be involved in experimental essays.
Criticspace Journals:- Are there other books being worked by you? Please let us know about your future projects.
Biplab Sarkar:- Yes, I’m looking forward to my next project of translation from Bengali into English and trying to make a manuscript of a collection of poems of an indigenouses language of India called Rajbansi.
Criticspace Journals:- How do you see Indian writing in the 21st century? What changes do you see in the modern way of writing? Do you feel it has been changed by the time?
Biplab Sarkar:- Now you’re asking the most difficult questions for me to answer. I don’t know how to tell about ‘Indian writing in the 21st century’ within a few words, but yes, there’s been lots of changes in the language, style and subject both in prose and poetry in indian writing since the independence in comparison with the pre-independence literature. Both poetry and prose have become far more open, I mean the language has become updated and bold enough to manifest. Anyway, I’d like to share with you here that the best literary pieces are being created in India in its regional languages. Due to the lacking of good translations they’re not being highlighted properly in the national and international market.
Criticspace Journals:- How easy/difficult it was for you to publish your book? What message would you like to give to budding authors?
Biplab Sarkar:- Publishing books in India has become two-layered in the time. Either you approach any traditional houses or go for a self-publishing method. But both the methods have their pros and cons. For traditional one, you should have a familiarity in the field of literature or you’ve to wait one to two years for the book to be published, and this is also when you’re confident of your manuscript. In the self-publishing method you’ve to carry your money. Budding authors can choose either one. But, above all, I’d like to say that they don’t need to worry about publishing. I’d like to suggest them to be serious on their manuscripts only because, you know, where there is will, there is a way. I myself had found my sponsor for my book to be published and then there was Evincepub Publishing for the processing in the front with their full support.
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We at Criticsapce are the perennial learners of literature. Driving our authors an extra mile, we have started to provide valuable and genuine feedbacks to the authors as a form of Book Reviews. Once you are done with creative writing, naturally, the dream culminates in a published work. Looking for a publisher you get it published with lot of hope and dream. Once your book is published, the real hunt begins. Publishing is not that much difficult task these days. Getting it into the hands of target audience is! Fortunately, there is something that can help you with this – Book Reviews/ Author interviews at Criticspace Journals. Yes, getting genuine Book Reviews, Author Interviews in various prestigious platforms is possible with us.