POET INTERVIEW - SONNET MONDAL

We Interviewed noted Poet Sonnet Mondal recently. 

SHORT BIO:

Sonnet Mondal is a widely read and acknowledged young poet who has authored seven books of poetry including a translation work and has been published in over hundred international literary publications. He was awarded Poet Laureate from Bombadil Publishing in 2009, Doctor of Literature from United Writers' Association in 2010, Azsacra International Poetry award in 2011 and was inducted in the prestigious Significant Achievements Plaque in the museum of Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur. He was featured in Famous Five of India Today magazine and as an Achiever in the Herald of India and United Magazine. He has also been a featured poet at World Poetry Reading Series, Canada, The Single Hound Journal and Asian American Poetry project, U.S.A.  He has been invited at the Struga Poetry Evenings 2011 to represent India in their Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Latest Books:-

‘Diorama of Three Diaries’ to be released from Authorspress, New Delhi.

‘Easterlies-Selected Poems of Sonnet Mondal’ to be released from Cyberwit publication, Allahabad.

So here goes :

1. When did you start writing poetry? How did you find the poet in you?

I started writing poetry from the year 2005. I remember a day when I tried writing a rhyming verse just after coming back home from school. That was my first trial which ended with a fourteen lines poem named “My Western Friend”. Perhaps that was the day when I deciphered my hidden love.

 

2. Can you talk about your hometown and how it serves as a backdrop to your life and work?

I was born and brought up in Sripur village, a coal belt area near Asansol though, I used to pass much of my time at my maternal house which was in a village named Jahidpur, covered with dense forests all over. Perhaps the contrasting flora and fauna between industries and forests kept me oscillating with thoughts which I pen today.

 

3. How did you get the inspiration to write?

For me Poetry itself serves as inspiration for further writing.

4. I feel getting published for poets is a lot tougher than writers. Tell us something about your publishing journey.

Getting traditional/commercial publishers for a first time poet is indeed difficult. The sole reason is less sales of poetry books as compared to fiction and this has little to do with quality of the verse.  If we look around we will see that the big names in the publishing industry have published poetry books of mostly those who have established their fame as novelists or story writers.

 

About my publishing journey, I feel a bit lucky to get traditional publishers almost from the beginning though I started off with the help of the a non profit publishing house named Underground Literature publication which is based in Kolkata and belongs to the avant-garde underground literature movement in Bengal guided by Prof. Dr. Ramesh Mukhopadhyay.

5. Do you have any advice for aspiring poets?

Keep a perfect balance among feelings, diction, language, imagination and truth. I think it can bring out good pieces of poetry. Also, it is necessary to keep an eye over the publishing scenario in the country and abroad to get a perfect publisher who can do justice to the poet’s work.

6. How do you deal with The Writers Block?

The world is too big with its land, water and air and what is even vaster is the arena of our thoughts. So, I think one life is insufficient to complete penning on each thought individually. Hence the question of writer’s block doesn’t arise. For those who face it, I must say that it is not the end of their imagination but perhaps a marginalization of their literary prowess due to other occupations. 

7. What is your dream project?

Write an epic poetry like Mahabharata.

8. Poetry in India & in Foreign countries. What is difference in terms of recognition and scope?

In India, lovers of poetry are there but buyers are less. In foreign countries strangely both lovers and buyers of poetry are more. Also if we carry on a survey we will see most of the poetry journals and magazines are concentrated in foreign countries than in India but the previous decade has shown a considerable rise in the taste for poetry in India which can be treated as a hopeful sign.

9. Do you have a favourite poet, someone you look up to and admire?

No one in particular. There are too many whom I admire.

Know more about Sonnet & his poetry at this website - http://sonnetmondal.synthasite.com/