A Chat with Anjana Sanyal
Anjana Sanyal is an undergraduate student pursuing English Honours at Gokhale Memorial Girl's College. She is an aspiring writer who loves the metaphysical world of literature and loves to explore. Her hobbies include singing, drawing, and she loves to binge-watch web series and movies, which gives her inspiration to write.
When did you become a poet? How did you know it was the right medium for your stories?
I guess I was always a poet in the disguise of a girl being lost in choosing her dreams. In the tenth standard, I faced tremendous backlash and mental health was degraded, I went into depression and that's when literature found me, so I knew it was the right medium.
What inspires you to write?
The urge to write doesn't come from inspiration, but a sudden surge of feelings of penning down.
What are some common themes you see in your own work?
Mostly existentialism, Melancholy, Love, and Mental health.
Who are some of your literary or artistic crushes or influences?
I am greatly influenced by Sylvia Plath, Jane Austen, Franz Kafka, Percy Bysshe Shelly, Robert Browning and I love Van Gogh's works. I love contemporary literature as well, and Greek Mythology influences me a lot.
What are you currently reading?
My current read is Bravely Fought the Queen by Mahesh Dattani because it's in my semester syllabus and I love the message it gives on the oppression of women in Indian society and feminism.
Do you feel that sharing your poetry is a vulnerable process?
It becomes a vulnerable process, but that's who artists are, they're brave warriors who design their vulnerability through the medium of poetry, stories, and art.
What is the first book that made you cry?
Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe.