He is a prolific humorist and author of hundreds of bestsellers - all in his dreams. In reality, this is his debut book. His satirical ramblings, poetry, and travel writing have been published accidentally in several literary journals, periodicals, and websites. For a living, Biswajit serves in a senior position in a leading Public Sector steel unit.
Q.1 Tell us something about yourself that not many people know?
A. Not many people know that I eat with my hands, walk on my legs, and sleep with my eyes closed.
Q.2 When should we expect your next book? What will it be about?
A. Right now, I haven’t anything quite concrete on my mind except that my next one will be in the nature of more HAPPIMESS.
Q.3 When did you decide to write Happimess?
A. I have been writing humor, both in English as well as Hindi, for quite some time. Several of my pieces were published in popular Hindi magazines like Kadambini, Sarita, and Navneet. In this course, one of my English pieces got published in a selected short-humour anthology brought out by a very popular UK website.
Q.1 Tell us something about yourself that not many people know?
A. Not many people know that I eat with my hands, walk on my legs, and sleep with my eyes closed.
Q.2 When should we expect your next book? What will it be about?
A. Right now, I haven’t anything quite concrete on my mind except that my next one will be in the nature of more HAPPIMESS.
Q.3 When did you decide to write Happimess?
A. I have been writing humor, both in English as well as Hindi, for quite some time. Several of my pieces were published in popular Hindi magazines like Kadambini, Sarita, and Navneet. In this course, one of my English pieces got published in a selected short-humour anthology brought out by a very popular UK website.
This actually sowed in my mind the idea of writing a book-length humour collection which finally came out in the form of HAPPIMESS. I am grateful to The Book Bakers Literary Agency and my publisher, Locksley Hall, for keeping faith in my writing abilities.
Q.4 What do you do when a new idea jumps out at you while you’re still working on a book? Do you chase the squirrel, or do you finish your current project first?
A. Of course, I make it a point to finish the ongoing project first. But at the same time, I don’t like to give up any new idea that struck me. I keep my scrapbook handy to jot down random thoughts to have a look later.
Q.5 Who is your favorite character to write, and why is that person your favorite? If picking a favorite character would be like picking a favorite child, which character seems to be the most demanding of your attention and detail as a writer?
A. Most of the stories in HAPPIMESS have been written from the first-person perspective. So in a way, I am my own favourite character.
But a first-person narrative has its share of challenges, too. A few would be - too much personalization, missing the broader context of events, undermining the interesting aspects of the supporting characters, etc.
Q.6 Tell us what you enjoy most about writing satire?
A. Writing satire affords an opportunity to speak the truth in a manner that does not particularly offend or hurt. To put it metaphorically, satire lets me write in a manner that floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. It also allows me to freely use various techniques like irony, sarcasm, exaggeration, mockery, ridicule, etc.
Q.7 What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing this book?
A. I discovered that writing late in the night is best for any author. Because that’s the time when we tend to be less stupid than at any other time of the day and can cobble up a few sentences that are meaningful and coherent.
Q.8 What challenges did you face while writing this book, and how did you overcome them?
A. The most challenging part for me was to pick up the humorous elements from situations we were much too familiar with and, hence, most likely to miss. The stories in the book revolve around day-to-day happenings, and we are an invariable part of such settings ourselves.
So I tried to look at things as objectively as possible and then identify and narrate the fun and the absurdities in the situations. The idea was to mentally remove myself from the setting and watch the happenings from a distance. It’s like using a long-range telescope to watch things rather than moving close and trying to observe through a magnifying glass.
Q.9 Beyond writing, are there any other creative pursuits or interests that you’re passionate about?
A. Yes, I am a trained graduate in Hindustani vocal classical music and also an ardent admirer of Tagore songs (Rabindrasangeet).
Q.10 Satire often balances humor with a critical examination of society. How do you maintain this balance in your writing?
A. Yes, out of all genres in writing, satire requires a cautious tightrope walking. While the satirist wants to expose social and individual follies, he has to be mindful of the reader's sensibilities. It is more so these days when there are heightened emotions all around, ready to be scratched at the drop of a hat.
When I work on my first draft, I read it first as an author and then as a reader to rework the areas that appear to me as blatantly harsh on the reader. After all, satire is all about the art of beautifully camouflaging the bitter truth to make it appear more acceptable.
Q.11 Do you have any favorite comedic moments or scenes in the book?
A. There are so many situational comedic scenes in the book that are in the nature of slapstick style of humor. My favorite comedic scene in the book would be from the chapter Humans and Electricals when I am trying to find my way through a dark room in the middle of the night and get knocked over from hitting the corner of a center table. On hearing the sound of my fall, my wife rushes in from the bedroom.
Q.4 What do you do when a new idea jumps out at you while you’re still working on a book? Do you chase the squirrel, or do you finish your current project first?
A. Of course, I make it a point to finish the ongoing project first. But at the same time, I don’t like to give up any new idea that struck me. I keep my scrapbook handy to jot down random thoughts to have a look later.
Q.5 Who is your favorite character to write, and why is that person your favorite? If picking a favorite character would be like picking a favorite child, which character seems to be the most demanding of your attention and detail as a writer?
A. Most of the stories in HAPPIMESS have been written from the first-person perspective. So in a way, I am my own favourite character.
But a first-person narrative has its share of challenges, too. A few would be - too much personalization, missing the broader context of events, undermining the interesting aspects of the supporting characters, etc.
Q.6 Tell us what you enjoy most about writing satire?
A. Writing satire affords an opportunity to speak the truth in a manner that does not particularly offend or hurt. To put it metaphorically, satire lets me write in a manner that floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. It also allows me to freely use various techniques like irony, sarcasm, exaggeration, mockery, ridicule, etc.
Q.7 What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing this book?
A. I discovered that writing late in the night is best for any author. Because that’s the time when we tend to be less stupid than at any other time of the day and can cobble up a few sentences that are meaningful and coherent.
Q.8 What challenges did you face while writing this book, and how did you overcome them?
A. The most challenging part for me was to pick up the humorous elements from situations we were much too familiar with and, hence, most likely to miss. The stories in the book revolve around day-to-day happenings, and we are an invariable part of such settings ourselves.
So I tried to look at things as objectively as possible and then identify and narrate the fun and the absurdities in the situations. The idea was to mentally remove myself from the setting and watch the happenings from a distance. It’s like using a long-range telescope to watch things rather than moving close and trying to observe through a magnifying glass.
Q.9 Beyond writing, are there any other creative pursuits or interests that you’re passionate about?
A. Yes, I am a trained graduate in Hindustani vocal classical music and also an ardent admirer of Tagore songs (Rabindrasangeet).
Q.10 Satire often balances humor with a critical examination of society. How do you maintain this balance in your writing?
A. Yes, out of all genres in writing, satire requires a cautious tightrope walking. While the satirist wants to expose social and individual follies, he has to be mindful of the reader's sensibilities. It is more so these days when there are heightened emotions all around, ready to be scratched at the drop of a hat.
When I work on my first draft, I read it first as an author and then as a reader to rework the areas that appear to me as blatantly harsh on the reader. After all, satire is all about the art of beautifully camouflaging the bitter truth to make it appear more acceptable.
Q.11 Do you have any favorite comedic moments or scenes in the book?
A. There are so many situational comedic scenes in the book that are in the nature of slapstick style of humor. My favorite comedic scene in the book would be from the chapter Humans and Electricals when I am trying to find my way through a dark room in the middle of the night and get knocked over from hitting the corner of a center table. On hearing the sound of my fall, my wife rushes in from the bedroom.
Mistaking me as an intruder, she throws whatever she can at me, including sharp cutleries from the kitchen. She was an expert aim-taker, being a regular member of the state archery team in her college days. All this time, she constantly invoked me to come over and help her to catch the intruder even as she continued with her ‘Target Practice’. It required a hideous cry from me to stop my wife and restore her sanity.
Q.12 How do you select the names of your characters?
A. It is mostly random, but there are times when I name a character in relation to a particular situation in which that character operates. That brings the character in sharper focus and helps in making it more relatable.
Q.12 How do you select the names of your characters?
A. It is mostly random, but there are times when I name a character in relation to a particular situation in which that character operates. That brings the character in sharper focus and helps in making it more relatable.
For example, in one of my stories, “With due respect to self-respect,” the doormat outside the flat of my immediate neighbor is a bone of contention - it stinks horribly bad, and the neighbor refuses to change it despite so many requests. So I name the neighbor P.P.K Matwaala. The Hindi meaning of this name is hilarious, and the English pronunciation also has something to do with a doormat phonetically.
Q.13 If you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring authors, what would it be?
A. If you want to write non-fiction, write what you know, and if it is fiction, write what you don’t know. Let the exploratory part of writing take you to a point where the joy of arriving and looking around is far more than the boundaries of your limited knowledge.
Q.14 Do you have any unique and quirky writing habits?
A. No, not really… except the general requirement of peace and silence that helps one to put down thoughts in a coherent manner. For that, early mornings and late nights can be conducive to substantial literary outputs.
Q.15 How do your family/friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?
A. I had been close-lipped about my writing venture, so when HAPPIMESS came out, people in general were quite surprised. Then, there were greetings and the usual congratulations galore. One particular reaction has stuck with me. A close acquaintance told me that he had a long-standing suspicion that I had gone nuts, and he was happy that with the publication of my book, his hunch finally proved to be correct.
Q.16 Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with good and bad ones?
A. To speak the truth, in this age when books are valiantly competing for attention with social media posts and online stuff, any and every review, good or bad, is welcome. Yes, I do read reviews. I treat bad reviews as good friends because they do plain speaking and want you to improve. Good reviews are like sugar-coated sweets that need to be taken with care and caution.
Q.17 Who designed your book cover? How do you select him/her?
A. My book cover has been designed by talented people at The Book Bakers literary agency. I am glad that the cover has come out very well and beautifully captures the comic spirit of the book.
Q.18 Are there any authors or books that have had a significant influence on your writing style or the themes you explore in your work?
A. The list of authors I admire is rather long. But still, if I am to name a few, I’d pick Jerome K Jerome, P G Wodehouse, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, and Mark Twain - all classical masters in the humor and satire genre. I am also a great fan of Hindi satirists like Harishankar Parsai and Sharad Joshi for their great wit and sharp observations on social shortcomings.
Q.13 If you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring authors, what would it be?
A. If you want to write non-fiction, write what you know, and if it is fiction, write what you don’t know. Let the exploratory part of writing take you to a point where the joy of arriving and looking around is far more than the boundaries of your limited knowledge.
Q.14 Do you have any unique and quirky writing habits?
A. No, not really… except the general requirement of peace and silence that helps one to put down thoughts in a coherent manner. For that, early mornings and late nights can be conducive to substantial literary outputs.
Q.15 How do your family/friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?
A. I had been close-lipped about my writing venture, so when HAPPIMESS came out, people in general were quite surprised. Then, there were greetings and the usual congratulations galore. One particular reaction has stuck with me. A close acquaintance told me that he had a long-standing suspicion that I had gone nuts, and he was happy that with the publication of my book, his hunch finally proved to be correct.
Q.16 Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with good and bad ones?
A. To speak the truth, in this age when books are valiantly competing for attention with social media posts and online stuff, any and every review, good or bad, is welcome. Yes, I do read reviews. I treat bad reviews as good friends because they do plain speaking and want you to improve. Good reviews are like sugar-coated sweets that need to be taken with care and caution.
Q.17 Who designed your book cover? How do you select him/her?
A. My book cover has been designed by talented people at The Book Bakers literary agency. I am glad that the cover has come out very well and beautifully captures the comic spirit of the book.
Q.18 Are there any authors or books that have had a significant influence on your writing style or the themes you explore in your work?
A. The list of authors I admire is rather long. But still, if I am to name a few, I’d pick Jerome K Jerome, P G Wodehouse, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, and Mark Twain - all classical masters in the humor and satire genre. I am also a great fan of Hindi satirists like Harishankar Parsai and Sharad Joshi for their great wit and sharp observations on social shortcomings.
Being A Bengali, I love Bengali humorists like Sanjeev Chattopadhyay, Tarapada Roy, and many others. My writing may have been influenced by them directly or indirectly. It is up to the readers to discern any shadows of the great masters in my writing.
Q.19 In today's rapidly changing literary landscape, how do you see contemporary fiction evolving, and where do you think your work fits into this evolution?
A. Yes, the literary landscape has undergone a sea change because of digital and web-based interventions. There has been a phenomenal rise in the books that are being published, thanks to the democratization in the publishing industry with easy access to the publishers and marketing channels. Sadly, as expected, this has led to an overall decline in the quality of writing.
Having said this, in terms of volume, humor as a genre still comprises a very small proportion of fiction output that is mainly focused on romance, crime, horror, mythology, historical, fantasy, inspirational, mystery, etc. Even in the humor genre, most books deal with subjects of topical interest that gradually lose sheen over time.
The stories in my book HAPPIMESS cover subjects that we face every day in our lives and are entirely relatable - faulty home appliances, office colleagues trying to play smart, prying insurance agents, a case of haggling, dented self-respect, troublesome neighbors, a farewell speech went wrong and the like. So, in a way, the stories are likely to be more enduring in nature and retain their flavor and relevance over a long span of time, which is one of my objectives in writing this book.
Also, while writing the book, my effort went into dishing out what could be termed as good and clean humor, something that is in short supply these days. I have been successful to the extent that several reviewers have written how they have read out the book episodes to their families and laughed out loud together.
Q.20 Share the experience of your writing journey so far?
A. For someone who has an engineering background and works in the steel industry, writing quality humor and satire has been a big ask. I would say my steady love for the humor genre has seen me through, really.
What I have found from my experience is perseverance and commitment are key to writing business. At times, it may seem that all is lost, but who knows, there may be light at the next bend of the tunnel. Any author must remember that hundreds of people have gone through the stages that he is presently going through. There may be writer’s block or unexpected disruptions, but the commitment to navigate through these and go on writing should be a matter of unrelenting commitment.
The satisfaction of having finished writing a book is incomparable. Whatever the book marketing channels adopted or the book events lined up, still the fact that the project has been completed and the book has found a publisher is something that one carries within him for the rest of one’s life.
Share your social account links -
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/biswajit.banerji.9
Instagram - @biswajithumourauthor
Q.19 In today's rapidly changing literary landscape, how do you see contemporary fiction evolving, and where do you think your work fits into this evolution?
A. Yes, the literary landscape has undergone a sea change because of digital and web-based interventions. There has been a phenomenal rise in the books that are being published, thanks to the democratization in the publishing industry with easy access to the publishers and marketing channels. Sadly, as expected, this has led to an overall decline in the quality of writing.
Having said this, in terms of volume, humor as a genre still comprises a very small proportion of fiction output that is mainly focused on romance, crime, horror, mythology, historical, fantasy, inspirational, mystery, etc. Even in the humor genre, most books deal with subjects of topical interest that gradually lose sheen over time.
The stories in my book HAPPIMESS cover subjects that we face every day in our lives and are entirely relatable - faulty home appliances, office colleagues trying to play smart, prying insurance agents, a case of haggling, dented self-respect, troublesome neighbors, a farewell speech went wrong and the like. So, in a way, the stories are likely to be more enduring in nature and retain their flavor and relevance over a long span of time, which is one of my objectives in writing this book.
Also, while writing the book, my effort went into dishing out what could be termed as good and clean humor, something that is in short supply these days. I have been successful to the extent that several reviewers have written how they have read out the book episodes to their families and laughed out loud together.
Q.20 Share the experience of your writing journey so far?
A. For someone who has an engineering background and works in the steel industry, writing quality humor and satire has been a big ask. I would say my steady love for the humor genre has seen me through, really.
What I have found from my experience is perseverance and commitment are key to writing business. At times, it may seem that all is lost, but who knows, there may be light at the next bend of the tunnel. Any author must remember that hundreds of people have gone through the stages that he is presently going through. There may be writer’s block or unexpected disruptions, but the commitment to navigate through these and go on writing should be a matter of unrelenting commitment.
The satisfaction of having finished writing a book is incomparable. Whatever the book marketing channels adopted or the book events lined up, still the fact that the project has been completed and the book has found a publisher is something that one carries within him for the rest of one’s life.
Share your social account links -
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/biswajit.banerji.9
Instagram - @biswajithumourauthor
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