"One should read and write consistently..."

A Freewheeling Interview ❤️

Dr. Anannya Dasgupta

In Conversation with Ganga, Felicia & Aaron

#interviewtime

29 September 2023

Dr. Anannya Dasgupta from Krea University, Andhra Pradesh, was here in MCC today, for a Workshop organized by the Department of English [SFS], MCC, in association with the Centre for Writing & Pedagogy, Krea University, AP.

Thanks a lot to Prof. Daniel David, HoD, English [SFS], who gladly gave his consent for our students, to have a freewheeling conversation with Dr. Anannya Dasgupta.

Here’s Ganga giving us a report on their conversation –

On 29th September 2023, Ganga. M.S, (II BA), Felicia John (II BA), and Aaron (I MA) of the Department of English (Aided), Madras Christian College, had a short and exciting conversation with Dr. Anannya Dasgupta - Director, Centre for Writing & Pedagogy, Associate Professor, Literature & Arts, Krea University, Andhra Pradesh.

The interview took place at the International Guest House, MCC around 2:00 pm.

The discussion centred around the reading habits and choice of reading materials of today’s youngsters, which is strikingly different when compared to an earlier point in time!

Dr. Anannya then proceeded to describe the huge differences in times present and times past – especially in the language of WhatsApp today, which is in stark contrast with the language used in writing a formal letter, in the past, which goes on to tell us the fact that, a language keeps evolving along with the times.

When we asked her for tips to become a successful writer, she stressed on the importance of reading a lot of books regularly.

And if a student is really interested in specialising in a specific genre or type, then it’s good if they can choose their specialised courses, to understand the genre deeply, she added.

As a person who is so passionate about writing poetry, Dr. Anannya also emphasised on the importance of consistency – be it in reading or writing! One should read and write consistently, on a regular basis, she opined.

This cyclic habit which she herself practises, by switching to different forms of poetry like ghazals and sonnets helps in nourishing creativity she added.

Upon further conversation, Dr. Anannya revealed that, William Shakespeare was her favourite author; she finds his sonnets and writings interesting and hence she frequently comes back to his works every time.

On the greater preference of today’s students to do their research abroad rather than in India, Dr. Anannya Dasgupta agreed with the view, saying that, it’s probably because of the vastness and the diverse range of resources available abroad, when compared to India.

This immense material, and easy-accessibility to numerous books and resources stands as an important advantage for today’s students. 

However, today, with a plethora of new and emerging options available in the field of higher studies, in India, Dr. Anannya opined that, she is highly optimistic of a radical change in the situation.

The session concluded by 2:20 pm and the students thanked her for the opportunity.