Sankalita Roy is a remarkable writer hailing from the vibrant city of Kolkata, often referred to as the City of Joy. Born and raised in this culturally rich environment, Sankalita has been influenced by the poetic essence of her surroundings, which is evident in her literary works.
Her poetic prowess came to the forefront with the publication of her book 'Some Unbothered Truths,' a collection that captivated readers with its depth and eloquence. This masterpiece led her to clinch the prestigious title of 'Poet of the Year' by Ukiyoto Publishing in 2022, solidifying her position as a prominent voice in contemporary poetry.
Sankalita's literary journey extends beyond her own publications. She has contributed to numerous anthologies, blogs, and magazines, showcasing her versatility and range as a writer. Notably, her contributions to 'Kolkata Diaries Volume 3' earned her the accolade of 'Best Contributor' in the esteemed series, further affirming her impact on the literary scene.
In addition to her writing pursuits, Sankalita is a dedicated English language trainer with international certification. Specializing in various aspects of English language learning, including communicative English, British English, business English, public speaking, and IELTS preparation, she extends her expertise through online platforms, guiding learners worldwide.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Sankalita is a compassionate soul with a deep love for animals. As a stay-at-home pet "mumma," she devotes her time to caring for her beloved pets and actively works towards the welfare of stray animals. Her commitment to spreading love and joy extends not only through her writing but also through her actions in making a positive difference in the world.
Sankalita Roy's journey as an award-winning author and English language trainer reflects her dedication, passion, and genuine desire to make a meaningful impact. Through her words and deeds, she continues to inspire others to pursue their dreams and contribute to the betterment of society.
1. Can you tell us about your journey as a writer, from your roots in Kolkata to becoming an award-winning author?
>To be honest with you, not in one million years did I ever think that I would become a writer, it was never my childhood dream. as a teenager, I was a weak student at English who was often mocked for scoring less. My English teacher, Shivaji Sir kind of made me determined to spend more time with English , be it watching movies, listening to English songs, reading newspapers and books. In 2018, during one of the violent ongoing fights in my house , I heard a voice inside my head saying , “ I remember myself as a child/ Who dreamt a beautiful dream in her sleep”. I named it “My Dream” which is written in my book Some Unbothered Truths.
I wasn’t clear about exactly what it is but as soon as my pen touched , the words came poring upon the paper. I showed my poem to a handful of people who loved my depth in writing but it was Palden , my friend who is also a Buddhist Monk encouraged me to continue writing. Since then, I wrote based only on impulses and showed it to him.
On 31st August, 2021 , I submitted my poem ‘Healing Back Again’ for an anthology. I got selected to be a part of it. I never looked back , I got selected for most of the anthologies wherever I submitted my work and published my poetry book , Some Unbothered Truths. I started to explore various genres and various styles of writing and to make it a habit I build up my own website. In 2022, I won the award for the title ‘Poet of the Year’ for my debut book. I am way more elated and cried tears of joy.
2. What inspired you to write "Some Unbothered Truths" and what themes do you explore in this collection?
>I never knew how to write a book and till date, I am finding ways to write a book. The word limit scares me. When I wrote Some Unbothered Truths, I didn’t know how to write a book, about what shall I write. All I did is participate on a 21 day writing challenge where I decided to submit some of my previously written poems but I didn’t know what shall I write because everything I wrote was negative, I needed a breathe of positivity to write about the positive things which took me back to my childhood days, be it placing stacks of coins in on row or enjoying the good news shared by my friends to me for the first time or spending time in seeing the butterflies both inside the house and outside.
My poetry book is all about the unbothered experiences from childhood to adult and the transition along the way. Today, when I reflect back, I realize that it was a pre-determined universal conspiracy. About 4 to 5 months ago, before I wrote my book, I did an author interview for my friend, Prity Kour on her book called Wildflowers. The discussion with her that day is the structure of my book.
3. Winning the title of "Poet of the Year" by Ukiyoto Publishing is a significant achievement. How has this recognition impacted your writing career?
>Having an award on the shelf is always beneficial because it creates up a hype in the minds of people that you are doing great and they pay more attention to your book than before. The award always help me to have greater advantage be it in job fields such as teaching, writing and so on.
In my writing career, the award has encouraged me to continue my work and ensure that I am able to put myself out there in front of the world and promote the message that brainwashes people with the beauty of life the way it is. However, the only thing I won’t promote is a happy ending through my work as life is full of ups and downs , not a fairytale.
4. Your anthology "Kolkata Diaries Volume 3" earned you the title of Best Contributor. Could you share your experience working on this project and why Kolkata holds a special place in your heart?
>I laugh as I read this question. I never knew how to write a story after being published as a co-author by writing poetries. I never knew how to write a story that too in 4000 words and in a dramatic manner as was the theme of the anthology. I googled day and night for the ideas but never got one till the last moment.
I used all kinds of figurative speech to write about my poem “Maa” which is based on my long-forgotten childhood memories when my mother used to feed me rice with her own hands and tell me stories during that period of one hour or more. My grandma always tells , “Dugga, Dugga” whenever I left my home as a part of typical Bengali culture. I added these things in my poem.
I commute on a bus to my mother’s pet shop on a daily basis when I used to see all kinds of transgender people , hawkers, beggars , people selling toffees, puffed rice , pens, document folder and stuff. The idea was playing on my mind for quite some time and wondered to myself whether it exists in other parts of the country (I rarely went out of my city and Kolkata always gave me a sense of home , no matter in which part of the city I am in), I converted these thoughts of mine in the story “Sreelekha’s Journey”
The anthology Kolkata Diaries will and always hold a special place for me as it has travelled to the book fairs as well as various college feast in West Bengal.
5. Apart from poetry, you're also an English language trainer. How do you balance your roles as a writer and a teacher?
>If I say, I can balance each and every aspect of my life, I would be lying. I am teaching to handful of students to gain experience. Most of my time is devoted to my writing career and studying for my master’s in English Literature.
6. What motivated you to specialize in teaching British English, business English, and IELTS preparation?
>Since 2015, my life has been a turmoil because I suffered from severe depression and anxiety. I pursued science for my higher education which added further fuel to the fire. I was desparately finding ways to be happy but I couldn’t be until I started to spend time with English. I followed Shivaji Sir’s advice of spending time with English that acted as an anti-depressants.
In 2018, I took the leap of faith and left a medical oriented profession to pursue English and history as my subjects for my graduation. In the process, I joined British Council and Frankfinn (I intended to become air hostess for unknown reasons and left ) , the friends and the teachers around me started to notice my inclination towards English. I work consistently since 2017, to spend time with the subject and never stopped, I spend time in learning grammar, pronunciation, idioms, vocabulary, phrasal verbs. I am crazy enough to copy an entire e-book with pen and paper.
During this process, I learned about British English, teaching Business English and did workshops on teaching IELTS from British Council and IDP.
7. As a stay-at-home pet-mumma, how do your pets influence your writing process, if at all?
>My pets are the only love of my life, the rest can go to hell. I would like to mention a thing here, that when I mention pets, I mention all the dogs, cats, cows I spend time on a regular basis be it at home or on streets. They taught me to love, forgive and enjoy each moment with them.
You cannot stop death and life but you can always ensure to make the best out of everything. They taught me to never sacrifice my own needs for their sake and spend time on the things I enjoy doing . whenever, I went through low moods , my pets are always there to ensure that I feel safe. Whenever I cry or howl in pain, they will always find ways to make me laugh or scold me if required.
Whenever I write, read, do normal mundane chores in my house , they are always there for me like a rock. They give me the zest to continue living and creating a better life for them. their snores while typing on my computer or their eyes are a constant source of inspiration for my writing process.
They don’t speak but they understand everything and they ensure that I live well enough, that’s all I can say.
8. You're actively involved in welfare work for stray animals. Could you tell us more about your initiatives in this area and how it intertwines with your writing?
>I am the one who never loves to shout around the world that I do this or I do that, if I can ensure that 5 stray animals live well under my supervision , it’s more than enough for me. I cook around 15kgs of rice and 18kgs of chicken since 2014 for the strays’ animals as well as my pets at home. Working for animals is satisfying but sometimes, I wish people knew less about me because they will either come to me with problems of animals or share with me some traumatic incidents that shatters me. No matter what I do, it is never enough, never, some how or the other I failed in one area or other.
I can only feed the animals but the rest of medical treatments falls under my parents’ responsibilities. I am so sensitive about animals that it hurts to write about them in an unbiased manner, it hurts to create a dog based on my pets and create a conflict in my story. I get so emotional at times, that I couldn’t write but I wrote a story named “The Pagol and his Four Puppies” on my website, where I tried to stop my inner inhibition.
9. What advice would you give to aspiring writers who are just starting their journey?
>All I can advise to all the upcoming writers is to write every day, no matter how good or bad it is. It may be a few lines or 10 pages, it doesn’t matter, continue refining your skill. You don’t need to have a plan, you don’t need to know everything , just start.
Chose quality over quantity.
Chose skill and knowledge over money.
10. What are your future plans or projects, both in writing and in your work as an English language trainer?
>In the future, I want to have a work-life balance, where I am doing the things which I really enjoy doing. I want to gain experience in teaching English to various learners irrespective of their age groups and develop my intuition to teach students based on their needs via offline and online platforms.
In the case of writing, I want to keep on writing various styles and genres and try to figure out my niche probably. Someday, I do wish to write books based on various short stories, a memoir, and a book on animal psychology probably.
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