When I was asked to write this piece, the first question that came to my mind was why do I do what I do? And I may not have a simple answer to that, just yet. But then Mark Twain supposedly said, “Write what you know.” And dare we not take him seriously, because it seriously made me think of what I really know. I realized that despite the fact that masks, today, are trying to ramify the air we breathe, do we actually ever breathe alone? Publishing is a collective process, which adds community to even a supposedly solitary art. In publishing, the author and the publisher comes together to create a unique work of art that binds diverse readers in a common bond.

And just like publishing, we are also the products of our surroundings. Though I devoured the lives and works of publishing heroes and geniuses like Diana Athill, Roberto Calasso, Sonny Mehta, Urvashi Butalia and Maxwell Evarts Perkins, I was blessed to have gurus at home.

Even though, I owe a lot to my parents, who co-founded a publishing house (who also parented an ethically determined ecosystem), I would like to give them more credit for the bedtime stories they told.

When I was a little girl, my father, a master storyteller, told me innumerable stories. However long his day would be, I remember, he never missed a night to tell me stories in bed. Ingenious as he is, sometimes, he cleverly wriggled out of long tales by telling me stories like the one I about to share with you right now.

This one is about Ants. 

Winter was ending. And a colony of ants had exhausted all their food.  They were forced to venture out in search of sustenance. To their relief, soon, they came across a huge mound of rice. The first ant loaded a grain on its back and started walking back. The second ant followed suit and so did the third, fourth, fifth and so on. Obviously, the story didn’t end that night with an entire colony in tow. I definitely felt tricked and did throw a tantrum. But I had no option but to wait till all the rice was carried out, which could take a night or two more or till I forgot about it.

As a child, I gave no special thought to the story. No moral was expounded, nor was I given much time to bemoan it. But afterwards, as an adult, time and again, the unfinished story kept coming back to me… Today, I feel like an ant with an unfinished business, with a sense of responsibility and the desire to do what I have set out to do. 

Having grown up in a family where reading was effortlessly passed down as an heirloom, I still remember the first book I bought as clearly as the first saree I wore. I recall a few lines of a speech I read long back — The Keynote Address by Her Majesty Empress Michiko of Japan at the 26th Congress of International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) in New Delhi.

And, even though, I do not remember when I started reading, my parents never failed to indulge me. I could read any book I picked up at the bookstore and I was never restricted by a budget when it came to books. That was then and now, too, I find myself constantly thinking about how to expand my library in the most ergonomically efficient fashion. But it doesn’t end there. I consider myself lucky to be able to cherish these childhood memories while working towards starting my own line of children’s literature under the Niyogi Books banner.

But, first things first, although I have been working in my parent’s firm after completing my education and stints in various sectors, I always knew that not only would I want to strengthen what my parents have been doing, but also discover newer avenues of success, not only to the advantage of the business enterprise, but also towards sustaining a viable industry. Perhaps that’s what makes me want to wake up every morning with a sense of forethought that the future of books and knowledge is exciting.

The roots as well as the wings, developed as a child, prepared me for the dream I have been nurturing since I was, perhaps, fifteen. Though the path remained unknown and I worked in several unrelated fields, all roads seemed to be coming together. Every moment in life is material and I love the fact that I can bring back something from everything I do, be it dance or travel or get on a new app or debate on economic policies, or skydive or even fashion, which reinstates why I like to do what I do. Publishing, indeed, is a microcosm of the entire world and, perhaps, if I were ever asked to do anything else, I would, without a second thought, say — Never!

I must also confess that I am a romantic and hence despite the ups and downs in our lives in publishing it also feels highly rewarding. In the same breath, I’d like to add, I have never believed or relied on luck per say, but I feel truly blessed to have the steadiest pillars of strength, support and growth. One of them would be Dr Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharya. And even though, this is a personal essay, it can’t be any less personal to be able to acknowledge the effect he has had on me and everyone around me. He is an institution who lives through others and I cannot stress enough his selfless nature. He has shaped countless writers, readers, editors, thinkers and has touched them with his kindness. I feel truly honoured to have been considered to grow under his wings.

It was he who first exposed me to Mahashweta Devi’s speech at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2006, when India was the first nation to be the Guest of Honour twice — 

And while these words have stayed with me, it has been Nirmal jethu’s explanation of India — its richness, its vastness, its languages, its flexibility, its rigidity — that has always had been my guiding light. This association gradually led me into believing that Indian literature is one though written in many languages. Gradually my eyes opened to acknowledging that many of the cultural festivals happen in different parts of India at the same time, right from the bloody past, when there was no communication, no connection whatsoever. 

Thus, in someway my desire to participate in the movement to bring Indian Literature (s) to the forefront may not be just a collateral damage, after all. 

While I am forever indebted, I wonder what drives such great teachers to do what they do? I completely understand that I have a long way to go. But for once, I would like to blindly emulate them, for the sheer happiness that I have experienced. Such wonderful experiences and great mentors have only made me want to do more. Having picked up Krav Maga on the other side of thirty, the intent is not only to train myself but also to be able to help young women in the society who may be exposed to elements they would need to protect themselves from. I want to be able to impart the sense of independence and confidence that martial arts is teaching me.

During the ongoing pandemic, many a time I was on the edge, but then I remembered those wise words — in a war, the real killing starts when one side turns its back and runs. So, instead of turning our backs, we decided to turn over a new leaf. We actively started working on amping up Niyogi Books’ digital footprint, yet at the same time it didn’t mean we are losing touch with the classic style. Publishing in the electronic age is challenging as well as interesting. We took risks and experimented around. Some seem to be working out, some bombed. But it made us think that if we can’t do it with feelings, we shouldn’t at all. That is perhaps a great reflection of how resilient the publishing industry is. In the wake of online content streaming, books, editors, authors and publishers included are breaking out of their limitations and accepting the challenges head on.

Which brings me to dwell on success. Success to me is, the ability to be self-sufficient, the ability to dream, the ability to love without expecting anything in return, the ability to make a difference. Even at the risk of sounding like an incorrigible romantic, I’d like to add that the culmination of a person’s desire is when her profession and her love converge. It’s easier said than done. More than ninety percent of the time the two remains at diametrically opposite poles. Many women have to give up the pursuit of their passion at the altar of compulsion of a profession. I am quite fortunate that my pursuit of passion and my engagement in a profession are one and the same. Perhaps it is too early for me to chart out a success story. Nevertheless, I am drawn into the vortex of exciting activities involving books, magazines, literature, art, software and anything under the sun. I only fervently hope that this excitement and passion shall lead me to the gardened path of success.