‘Best authors are those who strike an emotional connect with their readers’

Sukhman Singh, a student with Apeejay College of Fine Arts (ACFA), Jalandhar, is fascinated by Art. He says, “Art is a mystery.” And it certainly stands true for this budding writer who is on an endevour to master the art of writing. Sukhman has brought several laurels to his institute by writing and editing books in Punjabi, which are a compilation of essays, poems and stories. His book ‘Safar Zindagi Da’ received the ‘Best Book Award’ in 2019 by Tare Bhalke De Baal Pratibha Manch, Patiala. He also got the ‘Mata Bhajan Kaur Nikkiyan Karumblan’ award for his works. Another book published in his name is ‘Duniya De Rang‘. His new book ‘Uchhiyan Manzilan De Raah‘ is a compilation of poems, articles and stories contributed by 16 writers, out of which, three contributors are from ACFA. In this interview, he narrates about his passion for writing and journey so far. Read on:

Since when did you develop this habit of writing?  What inspired you?

I had never planned to become a writer. But since childhood, I used to like reading poetries. I wrote my first book  when I  was in class 11. It was inspired by my mother’s life story and hence, I named it ‘Safar Zindagi Da’. My teacher in school, Mrs. Balvir Kaur Rehal motivated me to write the book. And since then, my writing journey has started. I wrote various poetries under the guidance of my teacher and inspired by  many other writers.

How and when did you decide to take up this journey of writing and publishing books?

I published my first book with the help of Mr. Jaspreet Singh Jagraon and Mrs. Balvir Kaur Rehal. Their encouragement has been a turning point in my writing journey as all of them helped with the publication of all my books till now. I have written my two books for children – ‘Safar Zindagi Da’ and ‘Duniya De Rang’. I have also designed the following books: Pehla School Tu Chal, Chidi, Parhuani, Madhumakhiyan Da Eka, Punjabi Baal Both te Virsa, to name a few.

What kind of stories inspire you? 

As I already mentioned, my initial book was primarily inspired by my mother’s life and her experiences. Besides that, I also like to write about issues surrounding me as well as stories about various women and their life stories. 

How do you ideate the concept for your books – please tell us about the process involved?

I do not wait for a special moment to arrive to start writing. The moment I feel someone’s pain and happiness or any social issue I connect with, I put them on my notepad.

Tell us about your new book? What is the theme of the book and what inspired you to pick that concept?

My new book is Uchhiyan Manzilan De Raah. This book is my first book as a compiler. It’s a bouquet of poems, stories and essays and all of them are inspired from real-world incidents. Moreover, the idea was also to give an opportunity to new writers to express and unleash their creativity to the world. My book represents so many budding writers. We wanted to bring out a book that can also encourage readers to achieve their ambition in life. I suggest youngsters should read this book.

Tell us three elements important for good and engaging storytelling? 

Well before you start writing, you should have a subject in mind. Secondly, you should have the clarity  for whom you are writing this – children, women, youths, etc. That will help you correctly pick words for your story or poem as well as you will be able to express your message to the audience or readers in a better way.- Being able to connect with your readers is a significant part of good writing. The best authors are those who are able to establish an emotional connection with their readers.

Have you ever thought of becoming an author and converting this as a profession?

At this moment,  I have not thought about it as I am still pursuing my degree. However, my Multimedia course gives me several opportunities to work on different projects including writing songs, short-films, etc. I have also written a song, which is sung by Mr. Sachin Sharma. So, maybe in the future, I may look at it as a full-time profession. I am really passionate about writing!

How is Apeejay College of Fine Arts helping you in this journey?

My college organises many competitions from time to time in which I participate. I have always been encouraged by my teachers. They have inspired me to take my first step in the profession of writing. My books were released by our Principal Madam, who really motivates me to achieve more in life.