Dr. Dipak Giri is a prolific Indian writer. As an author and an editor, he has as many as twenty books to his credit. His books have touched so many glaring issues associated with Indian society, especially in the field of caste, class and gender. For few years, he has also been performing the role of editor-in-chief of a prestigious literary journal Creative Flight. In the year 2020, The Journal of Commonwealth Literature included all his published books in the Indian section of “The Bibliography of Commonwealth Literature”. Prof Shiv Sethi from the Daily Guardian had a conversation with the author. Here are a few excerpts.
1) Your personal website displays a large number of your books. Which book did you publish first and when?
I started my journey with the publication of Indian English Drama: Themes and Techniques which was brought out by Vishwabharati Research Centre, Latur, Maharashtra, India in 2018.
2) Indianness is the very essence of your books. It’s also evident in your selection of title. Is it true that you are more inclined to the theme of Indianness?
Yes, it’s true. I believe “Charity begins at home”. In India, there are many social problems which, as an Indian, need our attention first.
3) Apart from social issues, you have also worked on Indian literature. Would you like to share a few words with us on Indian literature?
As a student of literature, I hardly dislike any book of literary merit. However, Indian literature is close to my heart more than any other literature because here I feel the smell of our soil. I’ve tried to work on all important literary genres – drama, novel, poetry and short story written by Indians both in our native country and also in abroad.
4) In some of your books, you’ve worked on homosexuality in India. What made you take up such a bold and controversial subject for your study?
Homosexuality has long been a debated issue in our culture because most of us think that it’s a foreign import. Of late Supreme Court of India has given a verdict for homosexual minorities but still, due to our ignorance and incomplete knowledge, we’ve been looking upon this practice as a sinful activity and hence it has become a social taboo in course of time. My books which seek plea for this community effortfully shed light on this challenging issue.
5) You’ve also worked on female issues in some books. Are you a feminist writer?
It’s true that I’ve long been associated with female question and my books also reflect it. However, I’m more a humanist than a feminist and my books also bear this stamp. They raise not only female issues but also the issues related with Dalit, lower caste people, untouchable, transgender, homosexual, tribal and many other subaltern groups of people.
6) You’re an Editor-in-Chief of Creative Flight. Would you like to share a few words on your experience as a chief of this journal?
It’s really an amazing experience as an editorial chief of Creative Flight. The journal has given me a room to work with authors across the globe.
7) What led you to the decision of starting a journal?
It had always been a dream inside me that someday I would start my own journal, though this opportunity came to me in an unexpected way in 2020. It was during covidsituation when lock down was going on and I was in home confinement I launched it and today when I think we’ve successfully completed the fifth year of its publication, my joys know no bounds.
8) Are you working on any new book?
Yes, my upcoming book is Indian Short Story: A Critical Evaluation which will lead me to the milestone of my twentieth publication.
9) Congratulation for your new achievement! This is my last question. What message do you like to give people through your books?
With the ultimate overthrow of all categories that have resulted out of caste, class, colour, race, gender and religion, I wish to give the message of love for humanity through my books.
