Writing as Therapy and Authenticity
When Literature Students Double up as Writers!
Reflections | 25 Feb 2026
For years and years, the traditional image that connects with a literature student has always been one of quiet ‘consumption’ – a passive consumer of literature!
However, of late, I could see a remarkable shift, or in Kuhn’s words, a ‘paradigm shift’ in the way our students connect with literature.
Today I was so happy to a stream of vibrant, aspiring student-writers walking into our office with their manuscripts / first drafts of their publications.
A proud moment for us when we see our students transitioning from passive consumers of literature to active creators of literature.
They are starting blogs. They are drafting manuscripts. They are proof-reading manuscripts. They are self-publishing books. They are doing book-reviews of their classmate’s books. They are interviewing people confidently. They are recording their own voices in recording studios.
And many of them are doing it so consistently!
We their teachers are so happy watching this trend unfold amongst literature students across all the literature classes – from I BA to II MA.
Most importantly, I could see a great sense of originality also in their writing. Again, writing is not everyone’s cup of tea. Also, they are not just writing to be published or to build a portfolio alone! they are writing because, as Chinua Achebe says, ‘they have a unique story, a unique voice waiting to come out’. By doing so, I am happy to note that, they are discovering for themselves the profound power of ‘writing as therapy’.
In a hyper-connected, fast-paced world where attention is constantly fragmented, finding a quiet corner can feel almost an impossibility! But for many of our students, a blogpost or a paper presentation or a book publication has become that sanctuary! that quiet corner! that private abode! That they so beautifully safeguard and nurture by all means!
When a student launches a blog, and nurtures their unique space on the digital platform, or through their personal diaries, they are creating a beautifully designed personalised ecosystem where their thoughts, anxieties, and observations take centre stage. This act of cultivating one’s personal space – what Virginia Woolf calls, ‘A Room of One’s Own’ then becomes not only liberating but also empowering for them! It allows them to articulate their own unique worldviews on their own terms.
Before we can speak our truth clearly to the world, we must first learn how to speak it to ourselves. Private writing is the rehearsal space for public authenticity.
In both literary and psychological studies, this deeply restorative act is known as scriptotherapy - the process of writing to navigate life’s challenges, and complexities in one’s own sweet terms, that proves therapeutic!
As their professors, our greatest hope is not just that our students leave with a degree, but that they leave with these lovely literary tools that help them navigate life effectively!
In that sense, seeing them embrace writing not just as an academic exercise, but as a lifelong therapeutic practice, is the ultimate testament to the enduring power of words. They are proving that literature is not just something we study - it is something we do to heal!
Finally, borrowing from Jane Austen’s immortal lines, “it is a truth universally acknowledged”, that, before we can speak our truth clearly to the world, we must first learn how to speak it to ourselves.
Personal writing then becomes that awesome ‘rehearsal space’ for public authenticity!
In short, writing becomes therapy and authenticity as well! 😊
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