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Interviewed by Tete DePunk
About Chaitali Nath:
Chaitali Nath is an Indian author. She had written her first book, Soul Spoken, at the age of 16, which was released in 2018, while she was a student at Delhi Public School, Siliguri.
Now 19, and currently a student at College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital, Kolkata, To You is her second release.
In her own words, she is a very simple woman, yet a paradox. She is a woman who values integrity, loyalty and punctuality in the highest sense. She enjoys reading, learning and listening to music. A courageous and curious human, she tries to find beauty in whatever life may be able to offer.
You can follow her on Twitter @chaitalinath14 and Instagram @chaitalinath.
Recently, we were privileged to interview writer Chaitali Nath, author of “Soul Spoken” and the recently released, “To You.”
We sat down for a thought-provoking discussion of her work and the themes she explores: of Love, Loss, and healing.
We asked Chaitali Nath how she tackles these expansive themes and fits them into clear narratives.
What inspired you to write “To You”?
CN: What inspired me to write To You was the everyday happenings that keep happening with all of us.
I'm someone who's very observant, to the extent where people think I'm spying on them (laughs). And to see people miss out on so many small, beautiful moments of life each day was something that made me really sad, so I wrote this book to ensure they didn't really miss out on those moments.
What is the meaning behind the title, “To You?” Is this to a specific person, or to a collective audience?
CN: The book is dedicated to Sushant Singh Rajput. There was no more apt title to a book dedicated to someone like him, other than something that was just this simple, yet carried so much depth and gravity to it. That was always the way he carried himself, and somewhere, that was the way I wanted the book to be.
You dedicated this book to Sushant Singh Rajput. Is this person a significant figure in your life and the book’s inspiration?
CN: Sushant, in short, is somewhere the reason I am the way I am. I've learnt so much from him, and still continue to (despite his passing away), it's just not possible to put into words how significant a personality he is for me.
The book isn't exactly inspired by his life or the people he met, the people he interacted with or had bonds with. It's somewhere more inspired by the way he taught all of us to live life, to be mindful of each moment and live life fully.
The themes of “To You” are Love, Loss and Healing. How do these themes show in the book?
CN: The book is divided into 6 chapters, which delve into the different aspects of love, loss and healing.
The chapters are named The one I love/The one who loves me, The one not meant to be, The one I lost and loved, The one who loved but couldn’t understand me, The poet I loved, and To my younger self. The titles are somewhere self explanatory as to which themes each chapter explores, but there's definitely much more it than just what the title speaks of.
Exploring these themes, do you feel writing is the best way to figure out these concepts and express them?
CN: I feel writing brings to me a sense of calm and mindfulness that nothing else really does, it's very therapeutic. For me, to sit down to write is generally a soulful experience which genuinely has helped me experience so much and understand emotions in so many new ways. I wouldn't deny writing to be a great way for the same, but I also wouldn't say it's the best way. Things can be different for different people.
Has writing these themes helped you deal with these aspects in your life?
CN: Writing, like I said, has been therapeutic for me. It's helped me understand myself, and in the process, learn to heal myself.
How do you approach writing these themes in your writing style and work?
CN: My general approach to writing things is to write about a moment or a fragment of a memory.
Like they say, 'When you want to write about man, write about a man', and that's the best advice that can be given to someone. It makes it very personal, while keeping it just as relatable and intact in its meaning.
Lastly, for writers wanting to tackle deep themes, what advice would you give?
CN: Think about which part of the theme you want to write about, at a given time, and write about that.
It's unnecessary to write about everything at the same time, it's just draining. It also, somewhere, confuses the reader, who loses track of the original meaning you were trying to convey.
Keep it simple, that's it. That's all you need. Break it into the smallest fragments possible and write about each of them separately. It will make sure each piece retains its own meaning, and that your work, as a whole, is able to convey the meaning you'd set out to convey.
Thank you for the questions. They were lovely.
We at The Unconventional Courier gives our heartfelt thanks to Chaitali Nath for this exceptional interview.
About “To You”, a novel by Chaitali Nath:
To You is a book about love, loss, and healing.
To You, takes you on a journey through the life you've already lived, showing you what you always oversaw, making you feel what you could never find the time or space to completely feel and making you the individual you were always meant to be.
No matter who you may be, where you may be, and how you might feel at this point of time, the book is just a letter to you, from you, by someone who's just like you.