Be patient. You may never be a bestselling author, you may not win awards, but someday someone will walk up to you and tell you how much they loved your writing, or how much they love how your mind works. Let that be your greatest motivation to keep going.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sangeetha Shinde.
Sangeetha Shinde has been working with women and men from different parts of the world for many years, helping them overcome the trauma of abuse and oppression, having lived through the same herself. Her latest book The Unseen Goddess adds another layer to Sangeetha’s contributions to women’s empowerment and offers a deep understanding of the cultural context of India, particularly the lives of women in lower socio-economic strata. The book’s exploration of issues such as gender inequality, domestic violence, and poverty will empower and motivate readers to recognize and address these challenges in their own communities.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I grew up in a small town in the mountains of South India. I stuck out like a sore thumb, I suppose, in a place that rewarded conformity rather than creativity, back in the day. There was not a lot to do other than go to school and come back and study. My family was pretty orthodox in its approach to the raising of girls, so I was in trouble a lot. Extended family members saw me as a troublemaker and treated me pretty harshly, and I didn’t have a lot of friends. Women/girls were especially horrible. So, in an effort to alleviate the boredom, and to escape my own life, I started to scribble… little poems, stories, essays for school assignments. I was bullied a lot, and I suppose it made me a champion, in my later years, for those I saw as the underdog. I became a reader, thank God I became a reader. I would read anything I could lay my hands on. Be it my father’s medical journals, commando comics that belonged to my brother, encyclopedias that were lying around, the few story books I could access. They filled my head with ideas above my station, I suppose, and made me an inveterate lover of useless trivia. The only English television show I had access to, on television, in the 80s was Star Trek, TOS, and, as a result, I am a fan of science fiction to this day. I grew up with dogs and I learned from them the joy of companionship that can exist between a two entirely different species. It made me a rescuer, and I have never departed from this noble calling.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
I cannot say any book changed my life. But all the books I read as a child made me realize the importance of loyalty, courage, being true to yourself and believing quite a lot in magic and magical beings. Every time I eat mushrooms I think somewhere some pixies are mourning the loss of their furniture. You’ll have to read The Enchanted Wood to understand this better. The book that did change my life and put me on a lifelong quest is Only Love is Real by Dr Brian Weiss. It shattered a lot of previously rigidly held notions, made me more accepting of turbulence in my life, and made me want to try and change. It is a poignant, simple and beautiful read. I cannot recommend it enough.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The funniest mistake. OOOH!! All my mistakes are so very unfunny. Stupid would describe my mistakes far better. And the stupidest thing I ever did was believing that other writers would appreciate my work. One of them actually plagiarized my work quite wildly and was unapologetic when I confronted her. I’ve learned since not to share my work quite that openly. Folks have asked me if they can use my speeches (I’ve done a few) as part of their own public offerings and never credited me with authorship. I have had people use some of my published work and then treat me quite poorly on the back of it. I have learned to say no since then, something I generally find very hard to do. It is, however, a necessary evil in today’s world. I suppose. And I think writers should never part with their work, published or unpublished to anyone without some benefit for themselves, very clearly spelt out. Also, never work with friends on a creative collaboration. People who want a piece of your talent for free, also want your peace of mind, I find.
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book?
I think when you have spent a lifetime being misunderstood, unheard, ignored or passed by you become very sensitive to injustice. The Unseen Goddess is about bringing to light the tales of women of a certain socio-economic bracket who are probably heir to some of the greatest injustices there are. The quote by Thoreau, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation” requires a gender tweak. It is my hope that my book will let the world see that these women — the street cleaners, the maids, the servers — have rich lives, profoundly courageous spirits and are no different to you or me. If only we could see each other as humans first, we would see how same we all are, regardless of ideology, gender, finances, accident of birth or color. I truly hope that The Unseen Goddess will make the unseen, seen.
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
My favorite bit in the book, sad as it is, is the part where Madhuri loses her best friend to medical neglect. While it is awful in its lived experience, it is such a stark reality of all our lives, and the grief we experience when we lose a friend, a lover, a family member to either circumstance or death or our own bad decisions.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
I started with nothing. In my days of nothingness, it was the poor that came to my rescue, offering food, shelter and companionship and acceptance. This has been a repeating pattern, where the humblest give the most, with such generosity. Over the course of years this has made me passionate about showcasing them differently to the world. I do not want the world to think that an accident of birth makes any one human less than the other, or greater than the other.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I can talk about my ex-housekeeper in India. She was and is a friend, mother, mentor, someone that I truly love. While it might have been too late to help her, I was able to help her sons, both of whom are doing well in their own fields today, and are fine young men, who have risen above the circumstances I met them in, and have become outstanding humans, who are materially very comfortable today. I played a tiny part in that, and I am grateful for having been able to contribute positively, in a small way, to their lives.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
The root of all that ails the world is a lack of compassion. And this stems from tribalism, personal egotism and wanting to be top dog somewhere, somehow. Can community, politicians, society do something? Yes, of course. There’s so much we can all do, and I include myself in this. Being outraged by injustice would be a good start…I’m not sure practically what we could do. Policy can mandate human conduct, but it does not drive the human conscience, I find. I think The Lord of the Flies by William Golding is an excellent work that beautifully showcases human nature, and the point I am trying to make.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is about several things…and the most important one is renunciation of one’s own ego. As a leader you are meant to (or so I believe) lift others up using your position of privilege and leave the world a fairer place than you found it. A true leader should inspire others to shine, I think. It’s never about the leader, but about the people the leader leads.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- You’ll be horribly miserable a lot of the time. I think I mentioned my experiences of getting my first couple of books published.
- You are not that important. Toughen up. In retrospect, the grief over my first rejection letter was quite over-the-top.
- Don’t write to get published. Write to tell the story to just one person who cares. Luckily, I found that person, and now I write to tell the story to just one person.
- Be patient. You may never be a bestselling author, you may not win awards, but someday someone will walk up to you and tell you how much they loved your writing, or how much they love how your mind works. Let that be your greatest motivation to keep going.
- It’s all very anticlimactic. Finishing a book, getting published, getting known, being read, being interviewed…when it does happen, there is a strange emptiness that takes over. The excitement is more in the chase, I think, not the catch.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“The wound is where the light enters you.” — Rumi. If you let it, I suppose. If I had not experienced poverty, rejection, abuse, neglect, violence — the complete stripping of my human rights in the name of obedience, religion, gender or culture — The Unseen Goddess would have been the unseen book.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Does it have to be just one?
Oprah Winfrey — she redefined for me what it meant to be a person of color. In my country being dark is still a cardinal sin. She has single-handedly redefined life for me and so many others, and I would love to personally thank her.
The entire cast of Star Trek — TNG and Voyager. They are my tribe. The Doctor from Voyager, especially — the actor Robert Picardo. He seems like a genuinely fine human being.
Jose Mujica, the ex-President of Uruguay. His Presidency was marked by a complete lack of Presidential trappings, and I would like to shake his hand for that incredible display of humility.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
https://sangeethashindetee.com
https://www.instagram.com/fairydustandcigarettes/
https://www.villamagnapublishing.com/sangeetha-shinde/
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Authors: How & Why Author Sangeetha Shinde Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.