Exclusive interview with author of Fragments Of My Soul

Maleeha Tak : I am Maleeha Tak. I would like to introduce myself as a creative writer, a bibliophile and a management student. You might know me as the author of my poetry compilation “Fragments of my soul.” I do not consider myself a talker or a person who can build a conversation, but I would rather say that I am a feeler and a thinker. I take all the small things in my life and pay great attention to all the lessons. That’s pretty much all I can say about myself.

Maleeha Tak : I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, once I learnt to write and process my thoughts on my own and gather them in words. My journey of writing began with small diaries that my parents gifted me. I used to gather my thoughts and feelings on them, along with the stamps that my grandfather would discard. Writing became my meditation and I realized it when I was in eighth grade. After that, I never stopped. I began writing poetry as funny rhymes that I wrote for my family members. And later, I found my creative expression in it. That how I would say I got more inclined towards it.

Maleeha Tak : My book, “Fragments of my soul,” which it literally is, was already present with me. I didn’t have to separately write it. I had already written those snippets of poetry and poetic prose. I just had to give it a form. It took me about a month to appropriately compile all my poems that I wanted to get published. The most challenging decision was about what poems to hold back. The title was already in my mind. I would always call my collection of poetry “Fragments of my soul.” I divided the book into three parts- Radiant, Dark and Rainbow, based on my poems’ mood and tones. I would say that I am grateful for that moment. It was a well thought of decision, and I got a fantastic response to it.

Maleeha Tak : Absolutely, I do. Reading is primary to writing unless you are Ghalib or Aristotle. In today’s world, where so much information is already present. There is a bulk of international free libraries. Why would a reader choose to read you? To have that extra “oomph” factor in your writings, you must read. I read and keep a record of my read books on Goodreads. I am always reading, in fact. Reading awakens the reader’s senses. It paves the way for imagination and learning. Vocabulary, pronunciation, spellings and grammar, you name it, reading helps you polish them all. So, reading is the way to go if one wants to excel in writing.

Maleeha Tak : The literature quality of Kashmir is elegant. When I say literature, I do not exclude Kashmiri and Urdu languages. The poets and prose writers of Kashmir have a certain haze of gloom always towering their works. The accurate picture of Kashmir isn’t represented by the media, but it’s literature. This misrepresented paradise is well expressed by the writers that have been and that are. It’s literature paint images that represent the true beauty and culture of Kashmir.

Maleeha Tak : I cannot describe a typical poet. I have never believed in restricting interpretations, whether that’s concerning a poem or a person. Every individual is unique, and so is every poet. But one common thread that binds us would be our ability to express in words what many couldn’t.

Maleeha Tak : I would suggest young writers question themselves that why they want to publish their work. Then examine the answer, and if they find it convincing enough, then only they must go ahead with it. I’d say that it’s a personal choice about self-publishing or traditional publishing, and whatever seems more comfortable and appealing to them, they must go ahead with it.

Maleeha Tak : I am an aspiring writer too. And my message to them would be, “Don’t rush. Read. Proofread. Publish only when you are completely confident. Opportunities will lay in your path again and again. Listen to your intuition. And most importantly, don’t fall for discount offers by publishers. Don’t publish for profit but for your inner peace.”