Subhechcha Ganguly 
Vandana Nalini Singh hails from Noida Uttar Pradesh and is a gifted writer. Apart from being a wonderful Author , she is a motivational speaker, social activist , History Professor and a lot more. Now you know the title given to the interview is totally justified . Let us know more about Vandana in this interview.
Q1) Namaste Vandana , we are glad to have you in the Interview series of Interview Times. Tell us about the initial experience in your writing career .
Ans : For me writing has always been a forward motion, a means of evolving myself, a way to reach out persistently towards a better self, a medium to unleash my potentials, an avenue to be a rainbow in someone’s cloudy sky through the spark of my writing skills,a channel that overflows with optimism and hope and the energy that has the power to heal a bruised heart.C.S Lewis has rightly observed ‘You can make anything by writing’. Truly Writing has the potential to irrigate the deserts that our lives have already become because of our mechanical routine. Word after word and the outcome is a powerful expression that fosters new ideas and leaves a lasting impact behind .Writing has always been my passion. It allows my thoughts to lift into creativity , not hampered by opinion.It’s not a choice or a pastime but an unyielding calling , my intense obsession and the expression to my dreams.There wasn’t a specific time I can recall when I actually thought to start writing. Infact writing had been my lifestyle,my entity since childhood.Whenever I would find free time I would pen down my thoughts on varied subjects of interest, I never experienced loneliness in life for my companion ‘writing’ was always there with me talking to me,unburdening me,motivating me,transporting me into a fanciful world and teaching me that the pen is always mightier than the sword.
There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” – Walt Disney. Exemplifying this statement I too decided to find the treasure hidden in the books .I always admired the skills of Shakespeare,R.L Stevenson,Rudyard Kipling,Robert Frost,Rabindranath Tagore,Sarojini Naidu etc and the inspiration I gained from them provoked the writer within me and I was assured that I have miles to go before I sleep……. Instead of using words I began to introspect and express my thoughts through the medium of writing.Writing became my voice, my expression ,my passion and my escapism from stress.With time writing became my identity and an expression of my heart’s desire.Anything would become a subject for me and the theme of my writing.I was always fond of reading with no specification of genre and when I decided to pen my thoughts I wanted to explore the vast horizon of themes pertaining to nature, history,women empowerment,social reforms,linguistic skills, science and technology,artificial intelligence,India in the making etc.Writing rejuvenates me and inspires me to delve on issues of change and transformation in the world around me.Life for me is a blank page which I fill in with my dreams through the skill of writing . whatever I have written has helped me to learn and explore new ideas. The feedback to my writings helps me to enrich my perspectives and to enhance my skills . I would like to sum up my passion for writing with this quote “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”— Louis L’Amour.In the composition of a versatile writer there is the magic of hope, the beauty of life and the inspiration to create ripples of success through distress.
Q2)Apart from being an author ,you are also a motivational speaker. What would be your advice to the youth , who thinks one can just do good in one profession . You have excelled in so many professions and your advice holds great worth.
Ans :The future belongs to those who endeavour to be multifaceted in their approach.Life for me has always been to transcend boundaries that could limit me from leaving a trace behind.I have always used my words and expressions to create positive change around me . I have always aspired to explore different dimensions of life which has transformed my destiny in a multifaceted direction which has been truly overwhelming and rewarding for me.From my life experience I wish to convey this message to the youth to not hesitate to unleash the storehouse of talent that lies embedded within them.We are all born with a purpose in life how we identify it and meet our challenges keeps us going.Oppurtunities keep knocking at the doors of those who endeavour to be versatile.Being multifaceted gives exposure to multiple disciplines and paves way for multiple opportunities to excel in life.Exploring different dimensions of life will enable the youth to learn different trends through a spectrum of professions,it will make them more persevering pushing them them out of their comfort zone and preparing them to be distinct and enterprising,It will expand their network and give them exposure to various options available and finally a diverse career will help them integrate faster and become more successful in life. ‘Your story is the greatest legacy that you leave behind; so never hesitate to dream big,work more and stand tall’
Q3) You have co authored several books , tell us about your authoring experience.
Ans :I have co authored several books such as I have co – authored several books such as: ‘Rising India…..An Echo’ ,‘Samvad…Deliberations on Gender Equality’, ‘Fundamentals of Public Speaking.’ , ‘ Artificial Intelligence- An Inducement of Technology in Human Affairs’, ‘Literature and History;Exchanges and interactions’ etc.My experience as an author has been highly motivating and gratifying.Writing has given me the insight to manage the communication process effectively and efficiently and to disseminate interesting and enriching experience to my readers. As an author my focus is largely on extensive research, providing real world examples to support my claims,coherent and clear writing style,vivid imagery ,quality content and interesting ideas. Every book with a different subject matter gave me a learning experience in writing on a variety of themes and also established me as a versatile writer.Credibility is a significant quality parameter for a writer and while writing I have always ascertained the same.My experience as an author has been extensive and I have always tried to make my observations realistic and thought provoking.My imaginative instinct and creative expressions have contributed largely to my skillful writing.My experiences have taught me that writing is an art that requires passion,dedication and novelty to culminate into the final draft of a smooth flowing content which leaves the readers with a thought to ponder and a lesson to learn. Authoring has stimulated the creativity within me and has sharpened my skills of stringing my emotions and observations into a subject matter that has the power to ignite the spark of learning and change.As an author I have often experienced the feeling of restlessness which compels me to critically evaluate my content before the final draft is ready.It has inspired me to be more evolved,to learn and improve from my feedbacks,to bring variety in my style,to not be satisfied with short term gains,to enhance my creativity and to create a ripple effect in the minds of my readers.
Q4) A large section of the youth has given up reading . What do you think they are missing on .
Ans :Reading is a significant requirement in the process of becoming knowledgeable and stimulating creative imagination.In the present scenario where technology and gadgets have saturated the minds of our young generation ,there is barely time left for extensive reading.If at all reading is done its only superficial and lacks in depth knowledge of the subject matter.The youth is definitely missing out on an integral part of personality development for reading is highly significant for promoting mental wellness.It strengthens the brain ,enhances emotional intelligence,imparts empathy ,builds vocabulary ,prevents cognitive decline ,reduces stress and alleviates depression .Giving up on reading is depriving the youth of mental stimulation and developing social skills.Focus and Concentration are the pillars of progress and reading plays a significant role in building them.Reading can also help our younger generation in being energized and resourceful.‘Books are portable magic’ hence missing out on reading the youth is depriving themselves of the magical spell of the fanciful world of books,they are missing out on their most trusted companion,they are sacrificing utility for transient entertainment,they are slackening their mental growth and mental peace and above all missing out on the best tool for a meaningful life.It has been rightly observed by Elizabeth Hardwick ‘The greatest gift is the passion for reading.It is cheap,it consoles,it distracts,it excites,it gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind.It is a moral illumination’ So I encourage the youth to develop ,revive and enforce reading habits.
Q5) As an educator, what is that one advice that you would like to give to the youth. Also share your Instagram id and email so that the readers get a chance to connect you.
Ans : As an educator my advice to the youth would be ‘Be the change you wish to see around yourself,opportunities don’t happen create them,aim for a better, brighter and meaningful tomorrow,follow your dreams,live purposefully,empower one another and strive to be a face in the crowd’
My email id : vnapjsingh@gmail.com
Insta id : vandana_nalini
