Interview with Sancha Bir Subba

Welcome to Wandering Souls of Sikkim!

Sancha Bir Subba from Bermiok Darring in South Sikkim has authored two books. Anita Sharma of Wandering Souls of Sikkim talked with him recently about him, his books and many more. Here’s the excerpts of her interview with Sancha Bir Subba:

Wandering Souls of Sikkim(WSOS): Would you like to share something about your early years or your childhood memories?

Sancha Bir Subba (SBS): Well, to talk about my educational profile, I did my graduation with Honours Degree in Limboo language from Sikkim Government College, Tadong, in 2015 and Postgraduate in English from IGNOU, in 2017. Since June 2017, I am working as an adhoc teacher in a Government School.

When I was a student in the primary level, I did not write articles or poems. Nevertheless, I was fascinated with drawing and sketching. I still do painting as a part time job.

Gradually, I started illustrating my imagination through poetry. When I was alone, I was always tossed in a wave of sadness and sentiment. Sometimes, I used to recite the poems in morning assembly, but I did not have any intention to publish the poems in a book.

By the end of 2016, I published a poetry book, called “My Heart Utters”, which was released through the hand of Shri Palman Subba, Former MP, on 16 December 2016, in the occasion of Chasok Tangnam (Harvesting Festival, usually celebrated by the Limboos). It was celebrated at Saramsa Khet, near Saramsa Garden, East Sikkim. Besides this, I have published the book on Amazon with the help of a foreign writer, Mrs. Anita Elam, and the book is available in Kindle format (ebook) and paperback. With the passage of time , I even published a short story book, called “A Toil”, which is live on Amazon. My books are also available in various online book retailers/stores.

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WSOS: Why do you write?

SBS: There is no primary reason why I do write. I express my feelings, love emotions and experiences through my poems. Beside poems, I pen short stories to inspire poor people belonging to impecunious family. Through my writings, I want to help people who have been dispirited by this competitive world. In addition to this, I want to help the oppressed to be happy with what they’ve acquired in life. Furthermore, writing is just my hobby rather than a profession.

WSOS: Have you always wanted to be a writer? (And was there a particular moment you thought, ‘I can do this!’?)

SBS: No, I do not think so. As I stated earlier, writing is my hobby. Being a writer by profession is that part of life I still haven’t figured out.. I write poems, stories in English and Limboo languages. One day, I was invited for an interview at All India Radio (AIR), Gangtok. It was for painting. During interview, I was asked by the Interviewer, “Do you have any talent except this painting?” Yes, I replied. I recited a poem in the Radio Station. Though the poem was written in Limboo, I got an inner strength to be a poet. During the college feast, I got a trophy for the winner in Limboo Poem Recitation. That was a happiest moment for me, which boosted my inner passion towards writing and it was a moment that made me feel, “I can do this.”

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WSOS: What inspires you to write?

SBS: I express my emotion into a poem when I am alone, dejected, disheartened, stress, sentimental, and the like. Generally, I do not disclose my emotions to anyone by word of mouth. Amidst the crowd I feel lonely and I pour my emotions in a paper which follows a rhythm of a poem. I write the short stories when I am connected with one’s activities or his/her way of achieving a success in a unique way. Actually, I am learner who is looking for something inspiring in people so that, I share the same knowledge to others. There is no appropriate answer to the question, why I do write?

WSOS: Do you have any advice for the yet-to-be-published writers reading this?

SBS: Yes, I wish to share my opinion to them as a piece of advice. Write what do you like, and do not wait for perfection because nobody is born perfect. In the modern world, it is very difficult to publish our literary works because not all writers may able to publish their books as they may not have enough finance.

To my mind, do not write your book to make money, but write your book to grasp the hearts of readers. One more suggestion, if you cannot publish your book offline then there is an option of self-publishing, you can publish your book on any online book retailers or stores, such as Kindle, Createspace, etc., which marketises your book on Amazon or online book retailers. While publishing your books online, make sure that there should not be a single error, and formatted in a proper manner. If you are not sure, you can take help from your friends and relatives or experts. It is very bitter to hear a criticism of your work. If you get criticised, take it as a piece of advice. Keep writing and publishing your literary works, your hobby may turn into a profession.

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WSOS: Last one: Your feedback for Wandering Souls of Sikkim?

SBS: I appreciate the performance of Wandering Souls of Sikkim. It is really a great moment for us to share our opinion and experiences of talents, which ultimately energises and inspires the numerous coming and young talented candidates in their respective fields. It would be more authentic and better if you can take an interview through live video. Keep taking Interview!