Author Interview Shashikala Gadepally – Author of “Timeless Thoughts” and “A Voyage Called Life”

Timeless Thoughts is described as a spontaneous, powerful flow of thoughts and emotions. Can you share what inspired you to write these poems and how you chose the themes explored in this collection?

These poems were written for a contest on a women-only platform. In fifteen days, we had to write 30 poems and publish on Amazon Kindle. We could either choose the suggested themes or use our imagination. Mine was a mix-and-match. Poems reflecting profound themes were my take on essential aspects of life, which usually go unnoticed or are taken as trivia.  

Time is a recurring concept in Timeless Thoughts. How do you perceive the role of time in shaping our lives, and how did this perception influence your poetry?

Time and tide wait for none. Time is fleeting but powerful. Time is indefinite, but it has scheduled definite events and their timings; this is the paradox of time and life. Time makes or breaks us. Our achievements or failures, challenges and solutions happen at the ‘appointed hour’, but we take the credit for accomplishments and blame ‘TIME’ for failures. Time-bound actions and timely decisions are the essence of life. We can’t race against time but can go with the flow of time.  

Several poems in Timeless Thoughts explore the relationship between freedom and equality. What messages or reflections do you hope readers take away from these poems?

Freedom and equality have a profound impact on our lives. Equality, in terms of our Constitution, means no gender discrimination, equality before the law, and equal opportunities. Freedom and equality are constitutional rights; no individual should be denied/ deprived of these rights. In the modern context, equality and freedom have acquired a new meaning—defiance and rejection of a set of rules. Excessive focus on Gender equality and freedom has thrown caution to the winds. Defiance yields no result, and it only shatters harmony and balance. It is time that we realise the role of these two inseparable phenomena in our lives. Life is progressive, let not false notions of equality and freedom demean the purpose of life.  

A Voyage Called Life offers readers a myriad of emotions through its stories. How do you approach crafting characters with such diverse emotional landscapes?

This collection of short stories goes with the flow of life. Just as the waves rise and fall, life has its ebb and flow. The highs and lows enable individuals to rise to the challenges and resolve the issues. A light-hearted conversation provides comic relief when an individual reaches a breaking point. A smile makes life worth living. It is a relief from the monotony of life. The characters represent myriad emotions from our day-to-day life. They live, experience and emote with life’s multitudinous incidents and events. Their feelings are palpable, their responses are relatable, and their reactions are understandable. Our sensibilities are deep and alive, and so are the characters.  

The short story “Reversal” in A Voyage Called Life highlights life’s paradoxes. What inspired you to write this story, and how does it reflect your views on the contrasts in human desires?

Reality is harsh and shocking. It is challenging to come to terms with it, to accept our situations and our life settings. We want to live someone else’s life, thinking it to be better and more fulfilling. Contentment is a mirage. It is elusive. The contrast in the story is how we wish to live in real life. The paradox of life is that we are unhappy with what we have and crave what others have. This prompted the story ‘Reversal’.  

Both of your books reflect on the complexities of life, yet they approach them differently—one through poetry and the other through short stories. How do you decide which medium best suits the themes you want to explore?

Themes that reflect the day-to-day aspects of life need a medium compatible with the brevity of the concept/phenomenon. The reader feels the essence of the lines instantaneously, as in the poems Silence or Harmony. Themes with subtle nuances have to be explored and analyzed in depth. The character’s distinctive identity, his/her personality traits, aspirations, strengths, and lacunas must be quantified and brought out through description and dialogue. Such ideas can be well-expressed in fiction.  

In A Voyage Called Life, you mention the unity in diversity theme through various emotional experiences. How important is it for you as a writer to reflect this diversity in your work?

We live in a country that affirms this philosophy with conviction. This diversity is apparent in geographical features, social customs and values, or human relationships. But this array of diversity is incomplete unless complemented by unity. A unifying spirit pervades cultures and people, smoothening strained relationships and harmonising the complexities and differences. Live and let live should be our mission. Life is short, so let us not shorten it further.  

Your writing style is noted for its simplicity and lucidity, making it accessible to many readers. How do you balance maintaining this readability while conveying profound ideas and emotions?

Don’t we all enjoy reading Sudha Murthy Madam’s books, marked for their simple, lucid language and profound knowledge and thoughts? I don’t have any target audience because whoever picks up my book should not consult a dictionary or Google for the meaning. The fun, enjoyment, and curiosity get diluted and mitigated when a reader struggles to relate to the story or characters.

Who are your favorite authors and how have they influenced your writing style?

Several books and authors have impacted my writing style. P.G. Wodehouse’s witty sentences, Agatha Christie’s suspense thrillers, and James Hadley Chase’s fast-paced narrative style find a place in my writings. Humour, though, is still at its budding stage in my stories.  

As someone who has written across different genres, from socio-political thrillers to poetry, what do you find most fulfilling about exploring these varied literary landscapes?

Each genre is loaded with magic and mystery. Exploring and delving deep into each genre is both complex and fulfilling. My poems are in free verse, and I feel comfortable penning (keying in, to be specific) my feelings in this format. Fiction gives me wings to fly across the vast sky and view the world through a wide-angle lens. The world opens the doors for me to feel, view, and review my experiences, finding expression in words that weave, spin, and craft narratives that gather the minutest details of life. Fulfillment is always attainable.