Author Interview with Geethanjali Dilippe

Dear readers, today we have with us an award winning poetess Geethanjali Dilippe with us. Let us talk about her inspirational poetry journey.

1. Can you please introduce yourself to the world of literature? On the book cover and therein pages read me as Geethanjali Dilip; a graduate in English literature from Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai. Also with linguistic skills honed as a French Post Graduate from Bangalore University. It’s been more than three decades now teaching French at my centre, Zone Francofone in Salem. In the field of Poetry and literature till now two of my co-authored works and compilations have seen the daylight titled as, “Between Moms and Sons“, co-authored with poet Aakash Sagar Chouhan and “The Virtual Reality” with seven poets. Readers and fellow Poets/Writers also find my contributions on miscellaneous themes at various virtual spaces like Infornicle.com, Differenttruths.com and also on my personal pages on Facebook like Alcove ATMA, Geethatmaa, and other collaborative poetry pages with fellow poets. There is an effortless smile, which relives again and again in this slideshow of endeavours having been felicitated with ‘The Reuel International Award for Poetry 2017’ by The Significant League.

2. When did you start writing? 

I have contributed poems and articles for my college magazine, The Scrambler. It all started there and triggered a passion to write and spill my soul, my scripts found their place in cultural events and competitions, in schools where I taught French in Salem. My grand daughter – Aarushi’s birth gave a rebirth to my writing and I started compiling poetry in earnest. Eventually, her magical charm became my muse and the daily posts on Facebook have literally made a poet out of me today for which the inspiration got fed by all my virtual, mutual and close friends from their encouraging feedback.

3. When did you publish first?

In February 2016, a poetry anthology named “Between Moms and Sons”.

4. Describe Geethanjali in day to day life?

A passionate home-maker, revelling in little miracles of life like the songbirds greeting every dawn, the blossoming flowers in my garden, the rustling trees that breathe with me, my folks and friends, a music too resonates within in all that I do; my students define the meaning and purpose of my life, and poetry unravels my soul, when muses a plenty tap on my shoulder from dawn to dusk.

5. What are your hobbies apart from writing?

The arts and creativity in any space of my life, music and poetry being a very huge and fulfilling part. Travelling opens up an entire world to me.

6. Tell us more about your book?

“Between Moms And Sons”, started as a Facebook page with my co- author, Aakash Sagar Chouhan. When we saw the response and appreciation, we took it to the next level, of publishing with Raindrops Company, Bangalore. It has 31 poems including mine and Aakash’s, mostly based on the subtle bonding and relationship of a mother with her child.

7. What do you think of modern mom-son relationships?

It depends entirely on where it all started, based on the socio-economic scenario and milieu. But from what I observe, in today’s world, a mom has learned to accept that she needs to let go of her son, however close he is to her, allowing him to soar to skies, giving him wings of freedom. I don’t have a biological son, but yes virtual sons who mean so much to me.

8. Single parent relationships with kids are changing fast in present day society? What do you say?

Definitely! Considering so many marriages on the rocks resulting in divorces; today’s single parent is economically independent to manage pretty well without his/her better half to support them financially, although emotional substitution remains a challenge. Thus it leaves a lot of space for a parent to fill lacunas of single parenting, to give that fulfillment of a complete family for the kid.

9. How do you manage your writing time?

I juggle my time pretty well, smoothly sailing at a point of my life, when I don’t need to run around to different schools to teach. So my leisure hours get engaged in writing; poetry by nature being spontaneous and not so time consuming like novels or long articles. A Poet is still a Poet even on flights, rail tracks, highways, between cooking and running the home.

10. What do you want to tell new generation working moms?

Let thy family be the first priority come what may.

11. Your favorite writer and why?

Mostly I read spiritual literature. It has been really long since I read fiction as voraciously as I used to during my school days. Poetry is more my interest and there are far too many beautiful writers; I cannot enlist really. So I feel every writer writes differently for a specific purpose and I imbibe from the soul of that writing.

12. What are your upcoming projects?

My second sequel to “Between Moms and Sons”, ” Samudrika Chants” co- authored with Ms. Seema Jayaraman, again a poetry page on Facebook, ” my own page ” Geethatmaa”, a solo anthology.

13. Any tips to the upcoming young generation?

They have a lot to look forward to, and every generation has its dog days and field days. The mantra is to not take anything for granted but watch the moonrise when you can and go with the flow.

14. Geethanjali in one sentence.

A handful of song offerings to the Divine.

Thank you so much maam for honestly answering our questions. I wish you all the very best for your future works.

For author interviews, please write an email prabhu@prabhuprasad.in 

---