Writer Feature: Nidhi Agrawal
The Writer's Notebook
*
The Writer's Notebook *
Nidhi Agrawal is from India. She is one of IHRAM’s treasured writers. In this interview, she shares her musings, inspiration, and honest thoughts on her experience with us as an author and activist.
Her latest publication with IHRAM Press is ROOH, featured in IHRAM Quarterly: Reflections of Feminine Empowerment
Thank you for all you do, Nidhi.
Now be honest, how has your experience been with IHRAM Press? How did you find us and why did you choose to publish with us?
Exemplary.
Would you recommend IHRAM Press to other writers/artists?
Yes!
Share a couple of quotes from your written piece/s published in IHRAM Literary Magazine 2024!
“Just last week, in the holy month of the Goddess of fertility,
a wild smoke emerged from the boiling teapot, kicked my face -
You wouldn't know about the noises I made,
Dead sonographies can't reveal everything about everything.”
Now for the fun questions! What compels you to pick up a pen or open your laptop to free-write? And what inspires/influences your writing, particularly when it comes to addressing human rights issues?
The best possible way to bring a change is to talk and take constructive steps towards that direction. Much of my work involves writing about women empowerment, psychological well-being and issues, especially my piece published in IHRAM is toward that aim.
The human rights concerns addressed in the IHRAM literary magazine are often complex and challenging to navigate. How do you navigate the balance between highlighting these challenges and maintaining a sense of hope or optimism in your writing?
I consistently experience life-altering experiences, both positive as well as negative. When I approach writing a poem highlighting the complex and challenging concerns, I always look at the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel that the poem/prose always conceals something unanticipated.
How do you personally connect with our mission? Particularly on the power of art and literature to influence social change, and our values of beauty as a fundamental creative principle, sincerity, vulnerability, celebrating diversity, and opening doorways of engagement.
I engage with IHRAM’s belief system simultaneously with the idea of vulnerability and global exposure to social change because it is liberating. The deep-rooted desire to put my words on a global platform—whether they’re words from my experiences and childhood, that are still part of me.
The IHRAM magazine aims to celebrate authors contending with their identities within the context of their environments. How does your environment influence your view of the world (your home country, city, and surrounding culture)?
My view of the world is simple: there is no beginning and no end to the possibilities.
In comparison, how does your intersectionality influence your view of the world (your personal beliefs, gender expression, religious affiliations, etc.)?
My upbringing has had a significant impact on my tendency toward spirituality. My grandparents often read from the Scriptures and discussed the connection between the mind, body, and spirit while I was growing up. A concept that healing and a sense of wellbeing can be helped by the positive beliefs, compassion, and strength found in spirituality, meditation, and prayer was developed as a result of regular exposure to prayers. While improving your spiritual health won't necessarily result in greater health, it can help you feel better and endure illness.
