Sabarna Roy : Inspirational Journey from a Technocrat to a Bestselling Indian Author

Sabarna Roy is a trained Civil Engineer and passed out with a First Class Honours Civil Engineering Degree from Jadavpur University in 1988. He is presently working as Senior Vice President and is in the 25th year of his employment with Electro steel Group. Sabarna Roy is engaged in giving leadership to Business Development, Applications Technology and certain key Strategies in the Electro steel Group. Sabarna Roy is an author of critically acclaimed bestselling literary fiction of six published books. They are Pentacles; Frosted Glass; Abyss; Winter Poems; Random Subterranean Mosaic: 2012 – 2018, and Etchings of the First Quarter of 2020.

He has a technical book, titled: Articles on Ductile Iron Pipelines and Framework Agreement Contracting Methodology published by Scholars’ Press in the European Union with two of his Co-authors, which have been translated into 8 major European languages. He has been visiting national and international conferences to talk on various matters concerning ecology and environment. He is a firm believer in the Paris Climate Accord and believes in lowering the Carbon Footprint in the industry to reverse the climate chang ioe effects on the planet. He is an active participant in the multifarious activities of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, Confederation of Indian Industries, Central Board of Irrigation and Power, and Indian Geographical Committee of the International Water Resources Association.

Q.1: How has been your journey from a technocrat to a Bestselling Author?

It is not as if I have abandoned the job of a technocrat and I only concentrate on writing literary books. I shuffle between my two professions of being a Senior Engineering Professional and an Author of literary books. Yes, life has changed after I started writing books since July 2007 when I felt if I did not write I would die. Life definitely has become busier juggling between two different kinds of professions. As a Senior Engineering Professional, I am also involved in writing research articles on the environment sector in peer-reviewed national and international Journals. During the on-going Pandemic, I have been busy in various digital conferences as a Senior Engineering Professional as well as a literary author. Before the Pandemic I had to attend national and international conferences and literary meets.

 
Q.2: What shift you find in your thought-process once you find yourself in the league of poets and authors in spite of a common human being?

I do not think there is a definite shift in my thought process. I write whatever ideas, thoughts, imaginations and intuitions flow through my mind. This happens to all human beings. The only difference is authors write about them and others do not write. Of course, somebody can sing or play an instrument or pursue some other talent. I am inclined to believe every human being has some kind of talent. Even a reader, who reads a book requires the patience and necessary understanding to consume a book. The same is applicable to the audience of any other art.

 
Q.3: The world knows you as a Bestselling Poet & Author. Had you been writing since your school days or poetry come to you in the prime of your youth?

I wrote during my university years between 1984 and 1988.

I have been a poet since the age of 18. The first book that was published by me was a slim book of English poems, titled: Pain, which created a stir in the student circle in Calcutta. I almost abandoned writing in 1989. I wrote a full-length play in Bengali in 1994, which was later published in the annual edition of the renowned Bengali Journal Bohurupee in 2010. Apart from this, I did not write, except occasionally, but did not publish them until July 2007 when I was almost bugged by a very potential virus to write. I felt I would die if I did not write. Since then, I have been writing very seriously and my first book got published in 2010, it’s titled: Pentacles.

Between 2010 and 2020, I have produced 6 Literary works. After Pentacles, came Frosted Glass, followed by Winter Poems, and thereafter came Abyss. In 2019, Random Subterranean Mosaic: 2012-2018 was published and in June 2020, Etchings of the First Quarter of 2020 was published.

 
Q.4: How much of the thought-process of your school life has shaped your creativity?

The school has had an indelible effect on my life. I studied at Sacred Heart Convent School, Ludhiana in Punjab. It had one of the best campuses I have ever seen in my life. With beautiful playgrounds for various ages, libraries, auditoriums, clubs for pursuing all kinds of talents and various other things. I would say, my interests for literature was kindled by my teachers in school. We had a beautiful annual Journal, which was published during the Christmas time where I contributed regularly since Standard VI. Our teachers had lot of time to discuss books and our writings with them. The exhibition in school used to be fabulous. Once in Standard VIII, I made a model of Shakespeare’s original house at Stratford-upon-Avon, UK. When years much later I visited Shakespeare’s house at Stratford-upon-Avon, I felt very nostalgic about my display in the exhibition. I also played the role of Antonio in William Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice in one of the exhibitions. Likewise, the science exhibitions were also a treat to participate and watch. All these things put together went on to shape my creativity at an early age.

Q.5: What have been your favourite books during your school days?

The most favourite books during my school were as follows: –

➤David Copperfield by Charles Dickens.

➤The Bishop’s Candlesticks by Norman McKinnel.

➤Dakghar (The Post Office) by Rabindranath Tagore.

➤The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle.

 
Q.6: How much of your writing style has changed since you debuted as an author?

I do not think my writing style has changed much except for the fact that with increasing age I want to write more lucidly every day so that what I want to say is understood by everybody.

 
Q.7: What would be your advice to the school kids who wants to make their mark as an author and poet?

I can give a few tips, which can work remarkably well for aspiring authors and poets in school: –

➤Maintain a journal or a diary for yourself. This is a tool where you can talk to yourself most privately and later your journal or your diary will reflect back the way you have progressed in life.

➤Read as much as you can and reflect upon what you are reading. Also, jot down your book reviews, however brief they are, in your journal or diary.

➤Capture all your thoughts, ideas and dreams and let them flow through you in the form of written pieces in your journal or diary.

➤If you are inclined enough, create and maintain a regular blog and socialize it among your friends, family and relatives and seek their opinion about what you are writing. This is a process from where you will learn.

➤Try to be original and authentic, however immature you are, because in being close to yourself you will reconnect with your soul during the process of writing. This is very critical and significant to become a good author or a poet.

Source: socialposts.org