Author’s Background: Nalini is currently a sixteen-year old student living in India. She delved into poetry when she was fourteen, in 2017. Poetry started out as a method to vent, then an additional hobby and finally her passion, a source of happiness for her. She discovered her interest in writing after creating her blog Soberly Drunk Poetry on blogspot in July 2018. Since then, her writing style has developed tremendously. She has written in free style, tried writing Shakespearian sonnets, researched about iambic pentameter and learnt about different kinds of poems. Her mission to write odes, epitaphs, elegies, pastorals and, maybe someday, Terza Rima poems.
Apart from writing, Nalini is a big fan of reading poems. She prefers poetry from the 19th century, although there is no such partiality in the content she reads. As of today, her favourite poems are The Passionate Shepherd To His Love by Christopher Marlowe and The Nymph’s Reply To The Shepherd by Sir Walter Raleigh. Nalini is also an avid reader of books, preferring novels in Young Adult genre. Gaming is one of her favourite hobbies. PUBG, Call of Duty and good ol’ Mini Militia are some of her most liked games.
Nalini believes in redemption of one’s soul. She wants to dedicate the better part of her life helping others (animals & humans) grow and develop in the most beautiful way possible. She loves animals and animals love her. She has a way with dogs. Her best friend is her father. Nalini’s father believed in her many times even when she didn’t. Her mother has always been with her, supporting every decision and encouraging her in the right way. Therefore, writing this book and getting it published is a small step closer to what she wants to achieve.
Questionnaires:
Neel Preet: First of all, Big Congratulations to you Nalini on your book, “The Labyrinth of Cloud” you’ve achieved something remarkably huge at a very young age! What responses are you getting from this book of yours? Please share your experience about this book.
Nalini Dhiman: Hi! Thank you so much!
Responses, as of now, are pretty subdued. My friends, acquaintances and family are very supportive and encouraging. Those who have my book, stranger or not, have told me that they enjoyed reading it, thus motivating me even more.
My experience with writing this book was truly an adventure ride. I started writing immediately after my Class X Board examinations. It took me 2 months to compile 69 poems into 9 chapters, each with a separate theme.
The after math of publishing was also great. I have a normal day at school, with a few compliments by teachers and students, and when I come back at home, I live in another world.
Neel Preet: I’ve read your book and I genuinely feel that it’s a wonderful collection of “Emotional and Inspirational Poems” so my next question to you is that what inspired you to write these poems? What was the impetus behind this work of yours?
Nalini Dhiman: My life was the only impetus, I should say, that motivated me to write these particular poems. The people in my life; my friends, my classmates and strangers compelled me to write these poems. For instance, the chapter Reality was taken directly from my life. Meanwhile, other poems associated to heartbreak and love were inspired from what I saw around in my life.
When you barely have a social life, you are left alone with your thoughts and imagination, and truly, that is the best blessing ever! Hahaha
Neel Preet: You have given a very interesting title to your Poetry-Collection Book, which is undoubtedly very catchy so, what made you go for this title for your book?
Nalini Dhiman: Apart from my basic fascination with clouds itself, I associated the sense of feeling numb and lost with being stuck in the middle clouds. It’s basically a metaphor to life; feeling clouded by my own thoughts yet living in something that seemed so magic like wafting in the midst of clouds…
Neel Preet: These days, computer and mobile games have become very popular among the teenagers and specially PUBG, we’ve read that you too enjoy gaming and in your book the Happiness-Section begins with a poem titled “PUBG” so, while writing this poem what was your mind-set?
Nalini Dhiman: Hahahaha!
Yeah so, as much as I am philosophical and calm, I am also a very enthusiastic gamer! I play tons of games like PUBG, Modern Combat 5, etc.
So while writing the poem PUBG, obviously, I associated it with happiness. Whenever I play PUBG, I get filled adrenaline and excitement, and I forget all about my actual life. Also, it feels great to be so good at something (I am not boasting hahaha) I used to be kind of good at playing PUBG. My only mindset was to write exactly what I felt while playing that game.
Neel Preet: These days a lot of young writers are coming out with their books but only a few of them come out with ‘Poetry’ which I believe is a bold step so, my next question to you is that why did you choose Poetry to express yourself? And why not Short-Stories when that too could have served the purpose?
Nalini Dhiman: I don’t know if it would’ve served the purpose for me. First of all, when I express through poetry, I tend to use my heart to write. I think every poet basically bares their hearts in their words. With short stories, it would be too easy for others to understand the exact emotion. That’s the beautiful thing about poetry: a poet uses metaphors and other poetic devices to hide the emotion behind words. That is why I chose to publish a poetry book, I wanted people to not only read what I wrote, but to understand it, feel it and live in it.
Neel Preet: While reading your book, I found that your poems had some really strong emotions and stories inside them, which had greatly impressed me and thus I would like you to explain the overall theme of your book!
Nalini Dhiman: I have no idea how to answer that question! Ah! What I had in mind while writing was: to show the entire journey of life. Thus I came up with the chapter names with the following perspective:
Infinity- the dead live among us even when they pass away
Moon- linking humans, that are actually atom-sized when compared to the universe, with the universe itself
Earth- expressing how everything we feel can be shown with effect to nature as well
Asphyxiation- there comes a time in life when we are overwhelmingly sad
Rainbows- and that the sadness is always followed by good things characterised by a hundred colours, shapes and sizes
Gratitude- how it is important to be grateful to everyone and everything
Destruction- times come when we are completely broken, fallen apart into pieces
Happiness- and how it is followed by happiness, because that’s life!
Reality- pertaining to life itself, the truths of life according to my eyes.
Neel Preet: Nalini your writing seemed to be really impeccable and you were bold with your poems in your book, which I really appreciate. Therefore, I want you to tell us about some of those writers, who had inspired you and whom you follow!
Nalini Dhiman: Honestly, I don’t follow any writers for inspiration. My father inspires me to continue to write. Otherwise, I like Sir Walter Raleigh, Christopher Marlowe and tons of other poets.
Neel Preet: Is there any message which you would like to convey to your readers? Or any piece of advice, which you would like to give to the readers out there!
Nalini Dhiman: Yeah…sometimes you’ll feel lost. You will feel as if you have no identity of your own. Do not let that come in the way of your life. Do not let it become a hindrance. Use it as an excuse to try new things everyday, because maybe the purpose of our life is to find ourselves.
Neel Preet: Are there any other books being worked by you? Please let us know about your future projects.
Nalini Dhiman: Well…there is something I’m working on right now, about which I cannot give much detail. Rest assured, it should be out by 2020! (Or later hahaha I don’t know).
Neel Preet: Thank you so much for answering all my questions. All the very best to you for future and your book too!
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