Swapna Peri: Congratulations on your book ‘Yellow’. How are you enjoying the success.
Urja Joshi: thank you so much! I am enjoying this success by being happy for myself and devoting some time to me and my friends because I have been too hard on me while writing the book. So I think its time for me to sit back and relax before I start working again.
Swapna Peri: The title is minimal and unique. What is the idea behind the title and cover page?
Urja Joshi: I wanted to give a title which is very meaningful and aesthetically pleasing at the same time. Since the book is about two phases: hurting & healing, I wanted to have a name which can represent both the things very beautifully and for this purpose there is nothing more appropriate than yellow. Yellow of autumn and yellow of spring, the meaning is so different in both of these situations. If I talk about the cover page, my friend samya hand painted it for me, it was her visualization and creativity which made yellow even more beautiful.
Swapna Peri: I have had a chance to read your another book, The Magical Life in 2019. Why did you pick up poetry this time?
Urja Joshi: I think so there was no specific reason for picking up poetry, I just wanted to write something very different and striking. So I just went for it without thinking too much, maybe I wanted to explore more artistic side of my personality, which can be easily seen through the illustrations and verses I drew and wrote for my book.
Swapna Peri: It seems like you are passionate about spreading love and positive energy all around. Is there any reason that justifies your thought-process?
Urja Joshi: I think so there are already many things going on in this world, for the negative energy to easily flow in, so I just try to do my part and make people feel better, if I could convince even one person, through what I write that there is so much hope and good things about life, and bad days will never be there for you forever than I guess I will be able to call myself successful. I want this world to know that having bad days is not abnormal, nobody is alone, we all go through some stuff. But we can always push back and stand with immense strength.
Swapna Peri: How did the idea of Mohi and Kabir emerge?
Urja Joshi: mohi and Kabir are just the names of feelings that we feel. And I wanted to see how will a feeling look if I gave it a form or a name. I think so it will be really a great idea to have two narrators for my book, mohi for the hurting and Kabir for the healing.
Swapna Peri: How do you like the poetry? What is your favorite book of poems and why?
Urja Joshi: I love reading free verse poetry and for that reason I love rupi kaur’s the sun and her flowers.
Swapna Peri: How is Urja Joshi as a person? What does she like the most?
Urja Joshi: Oh god, urja joshi is a simple girl to be honest who just wants to be happy in her life. She wants her art to reach the world and she wants to do what she loves till her last breathe and I guess she is progressing and becoming a better version of herself every day.
And she loves when someone appreciates her work because yes she definitely works hard for it.
Swapna Peri: How has been your time during this pandemic going on?
Urja Joshi: My whole quarantine period went peacefully because I was so busy working on my book, the editing, the covers, the content, it all kept me so occupied that for once I lost the track of time. But I always made sure to make some time for myself as well, I had the time to read books and meditate. On some days I would just watch Netflix tho.
Swapna Peri: What are the best books you read in 2020?
Urja Joshi: I was recently reading love,hope and magic by ashish bagrecha, also I loved the subtle art of not giving a fuck by mark.
Swapna Peri: What is that one thing you wish to do if you are given magical powers?
Urja Joshi: I would love a magical power which will take away the need of always being productive from me, I can never go to a party with my friends without being guilty. When I am not working or writing I feel I am wasting my time . so I want myself to really relax and not think about work so much that it takes the life out of me. On some days I would really like to think less.
Swapna Peri: What is your idea of Modern poetry in India and the world?
Urja Joshi: I think modern poetry is nothing but just writing your heart out with more emotion and less judgement. In india modern poetry will be writing on topics which are still a taboo, when our society becomes ready to read that kind of literature, that’s when the era of modern poetry will begin, at least for us.
Swapna Peri: Few words to the readers.
Urja Joshi: To my readers: you all are the most amazing people in this world, and I believe in each one of you. Love you all so much. Go ahead, use your potential and conquer the world. Thank you so much for the love and support you show me, and shower me with, I would love to have an opportunity where I can return this love and support to you all. If you ever worry for not having someone who believes in you, then just turn to me, write me an email or message me on my social media, I am and I will be always there for you.
Title: Yellow: The Verses of Hurting and Healing
Author: Urja Joshi
Interviewed By: Swapna Peri
Publisher: Evincepub Publishing
Buy Book: Order On Amazon