India 50 Years of Independence: 1947-97 Status, Growth & Development- Women Writers Literary Interviews in Part-7 (An Old and Rare Book)

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Studying a creative writer conversationally and in moments much less guarded, one feels facilitated in locating and appreciating his personal meanings of words and this in turn makes our appraisal of his works poignant. The role of interview with creative writers becomes all the more significant when they quite belong to us but originally write in languages not our own. In this context alone, this book which contains Ranavir Rangra's interviews with sixteen modern women writers in twelve languages would attract our immediate attention.

The interviewer strives to meet each writer on her own ground. None of the interviews in this volume betrays predispositions, studied preferences or even a passing platitude on his part to convey the impression that he is indulging in a verbal warfare to carry his own point. He sets the conversation so self-effacedly that, attuned to his work, the writer opens up on the creative issues vitally important to him.

The book, perhaps the best of its kind on the Indian Literature, presents scenes of cultural crossroads in a vastly diversified society speaking different languages and learning to knit itself into a single whole. While self-righteous political programming in national integration may not succeed for want of a suitable state of mind, the pull of a joint creative participation as this one might work beyond expectation.

An eminent Hindi critic and in depth interviewer, Ranavir Rangra has authored over a dozen books on the various aspects of literary criticism, especially the disruptive psychic phenomena intriguing the modern fiction; the prominent being-Hindi Upanyasa Mein Charitrachitran ka Vikäsa, Srijana ki Manobhümi, Aswada ke Ayama, Bharatiya Upanyasa ki Bhumika. Besides, he has published four collections of his interviews with contemporary creative writers in sixteen Indian languages. the last being 'Interviews with Indian Writers. Born in 1924, he did his Post Graduation and Ph.D. from Agra University in the fifties. He is former Director of the Central Hindi Directorate, Ministry of Education & Culture, New Delhi.

It is not only the writer that gets churned from within and without during the creative act. The reader is also perturbed as he involves himself in the act of comprehension. What flows from the writer through his writing and what the reader already possesses take time and effort to come to a confluence. The reader has, at times, to grapple with the incoming substance with all his might to assimilate it. The process of comprehension does not end when we close the book after reading it, but continues at the subconscious level. The stronger the writing, the longer it stays with the reader and grows as he grows. The real culmination of any literary work takes place not in the pages of the book, but in the mind of the reader.

Some works set the reader on unending quests and when he fails to meet them despite his concerted effort. He looks to the writer for a hint to unravel the mystery surrounding It. Whenever he happens to meet the writer, he cannot resist the temptation to get a glimpse into his mind. Even if the elucidation offered by the writer is not found fully dependable and final, it does throw some light on the subtleties and proves helpful as such.

It is indeed the inquisitiveness as a reader that prompted me to approach writers for interviews on their writings. Various Inquiries had been piling up in my mind while studying their literature. Though my constant grappling with them found answers to some of them in my own way, most of them continued staring me in the face. Whenever. I had a chance to meet a writer. I put my queries to him, as they occurred to me, unhesitatingly. At times. I did feel that my query seemed somewhat out of place, even silly, but spontaneous that it was, I did not suppress it.

**Contents and Sample Pages**