Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your career/published works or work-in-progress, including your Masters project(s)? 

I’m a twenty-four-year-old advertising and marketing professional, with an innate desire to tell stories across mediums. After penning my very first science fiction unpublished novel in Year 10, it became my mission to bring more meaningful stories to life. While I work full-time in advertising in my home country, my free time is spent completing scripts and novels which are constantly in my head. 

During the MA, I heavily focused on a novel idea I had harboured since Year 12, a romance and coming-of-age novel about a couple who reunite 8 years after separating in high school. The plot would focus on how the relationship’s resurgence helps both characters grow, overcome their fears and stand up for themselves in an Asian subtext. My dissertation helped me complete the first third of the book. 

Since the MA, I had 2 film reviews published on an Indian entertainment journalism outlet. 

Additionally, I had my repatriation flight vlog during the first leg of the pandemic featured on PLACE 2020, a digital exhibition of the student’s work. This project was extremely close to my heart, as it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I got to witness. Being one of the first Indians to get on a rescue flight back home, I filmed, edited and published the video blog on YouTube using the storytelling techniques I’d learnt on the course. 

How do you think being part of the Manchester Writing School community has helped your writing career?

I believe the experience really helped me understand the world beyond my own in India. Being an international student, understanding different cultures and learning various techniques to improve my work was the highlight during my time there. The teaching methodology deviates from typical classroom learning and helps a writer gain critical viewpoints on their storytelling, methodology and approach to a novel. 

I’d also been a student on the scriptwriting module, which played a big part in shaping the narrative for my repatriation vlog. The learnings on setting, story arcs and ways to interpret stories for a visual platform really helped me make that video an amiable viewing experience. 

What did you find was your most valuable experience as part of the Manchester Writing School? What were the highlights? 

The face-time I got with the faculty. With an experienced and talented set of writers leading the courses at the Writing School, I found so many guides and mentors on the programme. Professor Andrew Hurley’s unit and working with him during my dissertation would be the most valuable experiences. 

Being an international student in his unit, my work differed from other students based on subtext, place, nationality and cultural themes. But, I rarely felt out of place and grew confident in my work with his feedback and advice. His suggestions really helped me find my voice as a writer, filling in the knowledge gaps I had while defining place and characteristics for my protagonists. He holds tremendous expertise in the craft, and has only helped me grow as a student of life and writing. 

What advice would you give to students looking at studying at the Manchester Writing School, or just starting out on the course? 

I think, my advice would be to have a blank slate, empty mind and an open heart. 

Writing is an art that can be honed and learnt over time. But without passion and the willingness to modulate, it bears little scope. 

I would also suggest incoming students to expand their reading scope beyond preferred genres. The exposure varied reading material gave me is immeasurable and helped me deviate from a predictable format of writing to a more engaging one. 

Also, always ask questions and never say no to criticism. There will never be a right or wrong in this profession, and the coursemates will be writing companions you’ll have for life. They’re always ready to give your stuff a read, tell you what they think and where you can work. All of us meet online till date and get our work critiqued. It’s always a wonderful experience reading their work and getting inspired alongside our own.