Krishna Priya
Interviewed By: Ms. Nita Samantaray
Krishna Priya was born in Andhra, India, and educated in the city of Vizag, where she had spent most of her life. She has a doctorate in English and teaches at the graduate level. Dr. Krishna Priya is married and has a sixteen-year-old son. She aspires to become a voice for her generation of women, who are caught between home and professions.
Lets have a glance on what she has to say to my Questions:
Nita: Hi, I welcome you to ‘’All about an
Author’’
Krishna: Thank you
Nita. It’s my pleasure!
Nita: Tell me a bit about yourself?
Krishna: I am Krishna Priya. I am a mom of a
sixteen year old boy. I teach Communicative English, Business Communication, Communication
Skills at the graduate and undergraduate level. I have taught at several
reputed institutes at Bhubaneswar such as XIMB, BIMTECH, IMI and Trident. My
husband D.V.Ramana, is a Professor of Accounting at XIMB since the past 28
years! I did my entire schooling from
St.Josephs’ Girls High School and College, Waltair, now Visakhapatnam and MA in
English at Andhra University. I then
completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching of English at CIEFL, Hyderabad.
I received my Doctorate in English from Utkal University in 2011.
Nita: When and how did you start your journey of writing?
Krishna: Reading stories has been a big part
of my childhood and teenage years. I would just rush home, throw my school bag
somewhere and pull out a story book. I played as much as I used to read. My
parents never discouraged us or scolded us for reading too many story books. We
bought some, borrowed some books from libraries and exchanged others with
friends.The deep interest in characters and
narrative that I developed naturally drew me to literature during my Masters
education. I then got married and moved to a different state, from Andhra to
Odisha, but what kept me connected were the threads of narrative which are
common to people everywhere.Writing about my experiences became a
way of understanding the meaning of life. We go through so many emotions which
shape our being. It is important to express these. Sorrow, nostalgia,
homesickness, regret, happiness and memories of my own childhood, the role my
parents played in shaping my life, all these emotions are really crucial for
creating and understanding the person I am. We live in the present and with the
past. So I feel we have to go back in time to those moments which represent
your universe. Writing was the next step towards my self realization.
Nita: What inspired you for writing?
Krishna: My memories of my childhood, the happiness and utter
contentment I had with my family and my own self. I missed interacting with my
parents on a daily basis after I moved away because I had got married. Writing
about my childhood days, the anecdotes, the way we would all chat and exchange
stories all were very important for me. It helped me express my emotions and
value the wonderful parents I had. Recording our daily lives in the form of stories has always been
a way of passing on traditions and values in my family, or in many families.
Earlier it was just an oral tradition. Now we all have the luxury of technology
to record voices, images, whatever we want to for ourselves and the future
generations. Stories needn’t always be about kings, great people,
fantastic things. They can and should be about ordinary people and very simple
themes. Most of us live in small cities and towns. The lives and events of
people living in these are equally interesting and important. They deserve to be told and heard. I wanted to pay tribute to my parents and Vizag, the city I
grew up in. It is a beautiful city with the sea on the eastern side and the
Eastern Ghats on the western side of the city. It used to be and still is a very
peaceful and calm city though it is an industrial centre and an educational
hub. The spirit of Vizag is infectious. The people of Vizag love
to flock to the beach on weekends and holidays. It is crazy to see how much the
people of the city love to enjoy themselves on the beach. It is a unique
spirit. I also wanted to highlight the
simplicity and contentment of our lives during the 70s, 80s and mid 90s, before
the gold rush affected our state.
Nita: Is there any specific genre that you prefer to write or read?
Krishna: I love fiction the most, plays of
Oscar Wilde and Bernard Shaw. I like stories which reflect contemporary themes
and issues that we all face. I used to love reading all kids of
books. Like all kids, I read Enid Blytons as a kid and then the adventure
novels, MacLean, etc. Romantic novels and non fiction books. My all time
favourite author has been Jane Austen. I am quite open to reading all kids
of books, except horror.
Nita: How will you explain your books?
Krishna: I like to explore everyday life and
throw light on human spirit that can soar to the highest level and sink to
abysmal depths; this is a fascinating aspect that intrigues me. Writing should create visual images
and the reader should be able to almost place herself/himself in the setting
and reach out and touch what they are reading. I hope I can develop such
clarity and precision in my writing. I guess my favourite Indian author is R.K.Narayan. My dream
is to write like Narayan, in a simple prose, about everyday people and create
unforgettable characters! So I like stories that reflect contemporary society
and talk about issues which affect them in a way that gently provokes people to
reflect on what we are doing, where we are going and the manner of our actions. We grew up I a certain way, in a secure environment and with
absolute faith in our elders, teachers and the values of simplicity,
contentment, service to society, hard work and equality. You might be surprised
to know that even in those old times, how independently some people I know
thought and behaved. Independence and concern for others are not contradictory
values. Still there was genuine concern amongst people for each other
and for the society. I feel that is lacking nowadays. It needs to be revived.
Nita: How was your book publishing journey?
Krishna: It was quite a new experience for me but I had a very helpful
and timely assistance from the Partridge publishing company.
Nita: Is writing your passion or profession?
Krishna: I definitely think Writing is a
passion. I would always like to keep writing to tell stories that seem too
ordinary to be told, the minute details of everyday life, the simple pleasures
and trips, the happiness and joys of families.
Nita: How did you manage time between your full time profession and writing?
Krishna: I am not a full time professional. I work or teach during
some terms and keep the rest of the time for my responsibilities at home and
for my writing.
Nita: Best piece of writing advice from you?
Krishna: Write from the heart and edit later.
Nita: Something personal about you people may be surprised to know?
Krishna: I love pop, rock and jazz music. I switch on the TV or music on high volume to
motivate myself to do housework! I even dance when alone at home!
Nita: Do you have any upcoming books or plans?
Krishna: Yes, I would love to continue writing. I am planning to write
a book about boy who is very sensitive and intelligent and how he learns to
cope with societal pressure. I grew up in a household of girls but then you
realize, boys can also be very sensitive.
Nita: Any message to your fans?
Krishna: Thanks for your support. Please read my book and kindly share
your feedback with me.
Nita: It would be great if you will give me
some suggestions for my blogs ‘’Your Book Our Review’’ and ‘’All about an
Author’’
Krishna: This is such a lovely
initiative on your part. Please keep encouraging new and old authors. Can we
have book reading sessions or seminars and some ways to interact virtually.
Thank you so much for your time and patience Nita.
You can reach Author Krishna Priya through below link:
You can get her book through below link:
''I am really thankful to Author Krishna Priya for sharing her thoughts. It was really nice interacting with such a talented Author.''
Nita Samantaray
All about an Author
