Alfred Lord Tennyson said in ‘Ulysses’ “ … all experience is an arch wherethro’ / Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades/ Forever and forever when I move.” The literary odyssey of author Seema Jain bears ample testimony to her unending passion for literature, for which she is marching ahead with redoubled vigour and zeal post her retirement. Here are the excepts from her recent conversation with the team Daily Guardian.
Excerpts
Q. Please tell us about your literary journey.
A. My literary journey has been long and rewarding. I have 14 published books, including five collections of my English and Hindi poems (with two more in the pipeline), two edited anthologies, two translated novels (one of which is published by the Sahitya Akademi), three collections of translated poems, and several other critical books. Additionally, I have many prestigious translation projects underway.
Q. Which book is your favourite, and what are your chief themes?
A. One of my favourite books is Vibrant Voices: An Anthology of 21st Century Indian Women Poets in English, which I edited and was published by the Sahitya Akademi. It represents the voices of 102 contemporary Indian women poets writing today from across India and abroad. My themes focus on women-related issues, social problems, the environment, war, and human relationships.
Q. How else have you contributed to literature?
A. My work, including poems, stories, interviews, and forewords, is featured in over 130 national and international anthologies, journals, books, and even the digital pandemic archives of Stanford University, USA. I have presented poems at various online and offline poetry meets and literature festivals, including Sahitya Akademi’s Sahityotsav, FOSWAL (Federation of South Asian Writers and Literature), Washington DC South Asian Literature Festival, and regularly participate in poetry meets and talk shows on Doordarshan and AIR. Additionally, I have served as the editor of the Creative Pages of the international journal English Scholars Beyond Borders.
Q. Any other milestones?
A. My critical reviews, as well as reviews by eminent scholars of my works, have been published in prestigious papers and journals like The Statesman, Sahitya Akademi’s Journal Indian Literature, Different Truths, and Setu. I also work as a reviewer for literary awards and book publications for top national and state literary organizations. Additionally, I serve as the Vice President of Mahila Kavya Manch Punjab, President of Litspark: A Literary Forum, and have been honored with numerous prestigious awards.
Q. What are your plans?
A. Literature is an ocean with unlimited pearls. Post-retirement, I continue to passionately pursue writing, critical and editorial work, and trans-creation. I plan to write a longer work of fiction, curate more anthologies, and bring out additional collections of my poetry through translation.
Q. What are your challenges as a writer, editor, and translator?
A. As a writer, there are phases of productivity and dormancy that I believe most writers experience. Being an editor is both a challenging job and a rewarding experience. As a translator, the toughest ordeal is capturing connotative meanings, language-specific idioms, and cultural nuances.
Q. What is your advice for budding writers?
A. Believe in yourself, follow your passion, listen to your heart, and never give up.
