Subhechcha Ganguly 
An Author, Researcher & Analyst, Arunav Goswami is the Director of Sabal Bharat Foundation, a non-profit organization working in the field of education, rural development, governance and security. He is the author of 3 books and also maintains two blogs – one in English and one in Assamese. His writings have been published in various newspapers, magazines, web portals and journals. Arunav has also been part of numerous television panel discussions on topics ranging from politics, insurgency, peace processes, development, and economy.
Q1) Every author has a story from where they begun their writing journey. Tell us about the start of your journey.
Ans : I had a habit of writing from a young age. I was one of the editors of the first edition of our school magazine. As I grew up, I continued writing but at that time I had not taken my writing seriously. After I completed my post graduation and joined a job, I took up writing on a more serious note. I started with writing a few stories and posting them on my Facebook profile. My friends and acquaintances enjoyed those stories and they encouraged me to publish my stories as a book. And it was that encouragement that led me to publish my first book “The Kiss of Midnight”. It was a love story, based out of the campus of my alma mater, Tezpur University, a Central University in Assam. I also began maintaining two blogs – one in English and the other in my native language, Assamese. Since then I have published two more books. And now I look forward to publish more books in this literary journey of mine.
Q2) “The Kiss of Midnight “is written by you . How did you decide the plot of the book and what was your inspiration behind. Also attach the link for the purchase of the book
Ans : The plot of the book, “The Kiss of Midnight”, is a mix of own experiences as well as my imagination. I completed my MBA from Tezpur University and those two years in the University has given me a treasure trove of memories. I used those memories and infused my imagination to create a story that had the elements of love, passion and jealousy, infused with a bit of intrigue and mystery.
The purchase links for the Book are as follows:
Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/gpCZVCq
Flipkart: https://dl.flipkart.com/s/Ow5rSiNNNN
Notion Press: https://notionpress.com/read/the-kiss-of-midnight
Q3) A lot of young authors wants to have a career in writing but feel underconfident at times. What would be your advice to them ?
Ans : I feel that every young author should first focus on their writing and not worry about how and where to publish. Once you get the knack of writing in a serious manner, only then you should think of the next step. Nowadays there are several avenues for writers; be it book publishing or content creation or screenwriting. If the writing is good, one can excel in a writing career as well. As such, the first priority has to be to improve and polish your writing, the rest will just follow.
Q4) “The Fetishes of Darkness “is written by you . How did you decide the plot of the book and what was your inspiration behind. Also attach the link for the purchase of the book
Ans : The plot of the story came to me suddenly on a warm summer evening. It was the month of July in 2021. The second wave of COVID was disrupting our lives once again. Lockdown, Quarantine, Night Curfews were the norm. I was at my home in Tinsukia, a district located in the easternmost part of Assam. Our home had a new guest. In fact, it had been a guest for several weeks. And the Guest was a bird – a Oriental Magpie-Robin, locally called Dohikotora in Assam. My father had named the bird – ‘Sonu’. Every evening Sonu would come to our house, perch on the Tata Sky cable in our backyard and stay there for the night. It then left the house every morning and returned only in the evening.
One such evening, I heard Sonu yelping, and at that very moment, a story idea formed in my mind. I began thinking what if ‘Sonu’ is possessed by an evil soul. Can there be a horror story based on that? Soon the idea began to develop as a story.
I grew up in one of the oldest as well as largest tea estates in Eastern Assam. My grandfather worked there when the British were still managing the affairs of tea estates in India. Gradually I began to weave out a story based on that. In fact, I based the location and set up of the Bungalow in this story on the Manager’s Bungalow of the tea estate I grew up in. I also decided to add a few elements from Assam history into it. With a mix of horror and intrigue, the story flowed through my fingers and ‘The Fetishes of Darkness’ was born.
The purchase links for the Book are as follows:
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0BLV2WT7T/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_9X6C28MFQDWV4JW5CEJ7_0
Flipkart: https://dl.flipkart.com/s/FyJi8ZuuuN
Notion Press: https://notionpress.com/read/the-fetishes-of-darkness
Q5) From writing the initial draft to working on the final draft it surely requires a lot of efforts. What was the most challenging process in your writing career ?
Ans : Writing is a complex and challenging process that requires effort and dedication at every stage. Each writer faces difficulties at some stage of his or her writing. For me, I ponder the longest towards the end of the story – as to how to end the story, how should I finish with the character arc of the protagonist, will the end be satisfying – these are the questions that linger over my mind for long. I take a lot of time to ponder over the ending and I find it the most challenging part of my writing process.
Q6) Is there any message you want to give to the readers?
Ans: I would like to tell every reader that while reading a book try to imagine the scenario that the author has tried to create through their writing. This would help you get a more immersive reading experience and will let you connect with the story in a better way. For example, in my story ‘The Fetishes of Darkness’, when I write about the tea garden and the river flowing across it, try to imagine yourself in that very scenario. Imagine you are standing amongst the lush green tea leaves and it will help you appreciate the story in a much better way.
Q7) Tell us something about your hobbies and why do you think hobbies are important for a person?
Ans : I feel that hobbies can provide a way to unwind and escape from the stresses of everyday life. They can provide a much-needed break from work or other obligations, allowing a person to relax and recharge. For me, it is Books, Sports and Movies. I am an avid reader; I watch movies on a regular basis (and not only on TV or mobile devices but in Cinema Halls as well), and I try to play cricket or badminton whenever I get time. Watching cricket and football too is one of my unwinding exercises. I am passionate about these three things and it has always helped me cope with the stresses of everyday life.
