Author Interview: Bhavana Mishra
By: Shreya Ghosh
Tags: Author Interview, Book Recommendations, Indian Authors, Interview

I’m delighted that I got an opportunity to interview Bhavna Mishra, the author of Be Strong Always and In All Ways.

1. First of all I would like to ask, when did you think you would become an author? And what was the first action you took towards writing a book?

I was always fascinated by reading and buying books since childhood. They have been my best companions in my growing up years. I love adding books to my collection and to date dream of having a library in my home, along with these dreams I also nurtured a dream of being an author and holding my book in my hand someday. This year in 2020 my dream came true with huge support from The Book Bakers and Locksley Hall Publishing Team. They helped me turn my dream into a reality and finally I did get to hold my book in my hand.

Now the dream to own a library continues and I am sure there will be one shelf which will have books written by me.

2. Tell us more about your upcoming book to our readers.

I am getting very positive reviews on my debut book. People are loving my main character Bitti so my 2nd book will be an extension of Bitti’s story.

3. I have read in your Bio that, both your parents have inspired you since your childhood, so do you dedicate this book to them?

My parents have definitely been an inspiration to me. My book talks about the value of relationships in our lives and how they help in shaping our personality. It’s an honor for me to dedicate my book to my parents. I can’t thank them enough for choosing me as their daughter.

4. How long have you been trying to write this book?

I have this habit of writing in my diary and most of the incidents in my book are picked from this diary which I have been writing for years. I always wanted to get my work published, due to my work commitments it took a backseat but in this lockdown, I could devote time to this thought and got great support from The Book Bakers Team and things fell in place.

5. Did you have any goals for this collection when you wrote it — to get published, or just to finish, etc.?

I want my story to be an inspiration for all children and parents. I hope by sharing stories of the major milestones in my life I can bring out an important aspect that everything we do in our life has to be a carefully thought process as we are impacting people around us and have to take responsibility for our thoughts and actions.

6. What authors do you like to read? What book or books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?

I am a huge fan of Ruskin Bond’s stories and his simplicity in expression is what touches me the most.

My expression in my debut book is being appreciated a lot and it is described as lucid and engaging.

7. Could you describe the mundane details of writing: How many hours a day do you devote to writing? Do you write a draft on paper or on a keyboard (typewriter or computer)?

I prefer a mix of both. Typing and also writing in a diary. If I have to pick one I prefer writing in a diary. To me personally, thoughts come naturally and those are rare moments during the day and if I start writing magic happens. I am sure people who write will agree that it’s a very natural process, the more you plan the more difficult it gets. The process of expressing is like a joyful moment when words just flow effortlessly

8. What’s next for you? What are you working on now?

I have two thoughts for my next project: one is an extension to my first story, Bitti’s journey will continue to inspire and the other thought is to write about my professional experiences as a motivation to aspiring teachers.

9. Like I see, you love being an educator and a teacher do you believe girls in rural India do not receive a proper education? Do you believe Indian citizens, people like us can do something to a changing the scenario?

All children irrespective of their gender should get opportunities to get a basic education in life. Education gives us a strong foundation to face life with awareness and bestows upon us a quest to explore.

Unless we have this drive in us life is meaningless. We can contribute to this journey by funding the education of underprivileged children. While I say this I will ensure I follow it too.

10. What should girls from rural India do to be self-dependent?

I think girls all over are already making a difference in their individual capacities. They should continue to believe in themselves as capable individuals and not let any boundations stop them from exploring their capabilities. Education is an important aspect of achieving this. All families should support in educating their children.

11. As an educator and a teacher have you felt today’s society is biased based on gender?

Maybe it is but times are changing and we are hopeful for a better future. Change is a continuous process and as long as there is hope there will also be sunshine in this journey called life. I get to do my part by educating the future teachers who will further go on to shape our children who are our future.

12. Are you going to keep writing and doing only part-time work, or do you see yourself eventually going back to a full-time, corporate-type job?

I am an educator by profession and this role gives me the opportunity to read and write as an ongoing process. I am blessed to be able to fulfill my aspirations of being an author as an extension of my professional life. I wish to write a book on my professional journey as well that I feel might be a good motivational read for aspiring educators. The teaching learning process is a hub for stories that leave an everlasting impact.

Author Bio

An alumna of St. Stephen’s College (D.U), Bhavna Mishra went on to do an MBA with a specialization in Human Resource Management from Amity University.

She started her career as an early childhood educator and went on to mentor over 80 schools spanning diverse regions for their academic support, quality checks, and ensuring alignment of processes with institutional objectives. Having honed her skills for over 20 years in all aspects related to the teaching-learning process, she now brings in vast experience and expertise in her roles as a teacher trainer.

This is her first attempt to write a story to inspire, instill hope, to nurture dreams, and to connect with her father through her book.

An alumna of St. Stephen’s College (D.U), Bhavna Mishra went on to do an MBA with a specialization in Human Resource Management from Amity University.She started her career as an early childhood educator and went on to mentor over 80 schools spanning diverse regions for their academic support, quality checks and ensuring alignment of processes with institutional objectives. Having honed her skills for over 20 years in all aspects related to the teaching-learning process, she now brings in vast experience and expertise in her roles as a teacher trainer.

This is her first attempt to write a story to inspire, to instill hope, to nurture dreams and to connect with her father through her book.