Neelachadayan's Heartwarming Tale

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing”, says Benjamin Franklin, the acclaimed Statesman.  Akhil K, who bagged the notable Geetha Hiranyan Endowment Award 2022 instituted by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi for his debut anthology of short stories,  Neelachadayan exemplifies this adage. Akhil, hailing from  Paravanthatta village of Kannur district churns out roads and words efficiently. The stages of real life prompted to him play varied roles as a newspaper boy, sand mining worker, driver, JCB operator and what not. Albeit life had taken a different turn, Akhil’s passion for words lingered. The bipolarity of day and night has bestowed him with the paths of conscious driving and carefree writing. The day makes him work as a JCB driver. Despite the strenuous routine, he attempts a creative flight of fancy with his boundless realm of imagination in the night mode. He is again on the road now but a different road where his stories remain drenched. He enjoys sailing in the ocean of mighty words like a mission possible. Here is Akhil K. in an online conversation with me.

  

Q: How did the idea to write a short story or novel pop up?

In the initial phase, I started writing for cinema. As I never got an opening in the field, I switched to the field of writing fiction only as a substitute. It was always my plan B.

Q: Could you please share your experience on bagging Kerala Sahitya Akademi’s award?

I felt happy about the Akademi award. I was never over excited like others or what people think. When I shared the cover page of this short story collection in fb, I was criticized, trolled and humiliated for my comment that I will achieve Akademi award with the publication of my first five books. People might not say so. I don’t know. It was just a calculation of me about myself and my writing. When our calculations big or small turn out to be a reality, we feel happy. Mine is a self published collection with limited copies. It  was nowhere in most of the book stores. I feel happy when I think my book has represented and inspired many aspiring writers who are denied the opportunities to come to the limelight and who are not fortunate to publish their works.

Q: What did the process of writing Neelachadayan teach you?

I was always trying to be creative in my life. I was collecting some materials for my writing all my life. I write with the same seriousness even now after the publication. I never thought I would get a chance to come and exist in the field of writing. Almost 13 publishers rejected my Neelachadayan and I had to end up in self publication with limited copies. I faced a lot of  hardships in the process. Many books of good quality produced during this time ( far better than my fiction)are seen nowhere now, I feel. There are lot many things beyond the quality of the work. What I learnt from my experience is to give an extra 30 or 50 percent effort while in the workshop of writing rather than in the phase of marketing.

Q: Your token of advice to the aspiring writers?

Always remain focused on your writing and go to any extent to accomplish your creative smithy.

This was published last year ( A much delayed blog post)

To read my full interview article, check https://prd.kerala.gov.in/en/home-1