Zarin Virji is the second prize winner of Wingword Poetry Competition 2020. She is a writer and educator. We interviewed her to find out about her writing journey.
Interviewer: The winning poem which was selected by the jury ‘The Killing Fields’ is a bold and provocative poem interlinking violence, caste hierarchy and the normalization of rape culture in our society. Could you tell us about the inspiration behind the poem?
Zarin: The case of a seventeen year old girl’s rape in Uttar Pradesh set me thinking about gender equation. Often when we hear about such horrific incidents in the news, we feel frustrated and rattled. But soon, we move on and forget about them. The poem captures this very thought.
Interviewer: As an educator who has been teaching for over three decades, do you feel that writing is a skill which can be learned? Or is it what one may call, a natural talent?
Zarin: I would say writing is a blend of both. It is not just a skill but an innate calling towards expressing oneself. An idea sprouts up almost simultaneously and nothing can be done until it is penned down.
A liking or inclination towards language must naturally be there in order to be a writer. But of course, the techniques which refine one’s writing can be learned.
Interviewer: What advice would you like to share with other writers?
Zarin: The most important thing to remember is to be original. Be yourself. What makes a writer’s work shine is the unique perspective which he or she offers about even the ordinary.
One of my recent poems, 'It's in the air', emerged just like this. My bedroom window overlooks my neighbour's garden. During the pandemic, this garden offered me peace and relaxation. However, my neighbour, a dear friend, who had nurtured this garden, was fighting a losing battle against cancer during the same time. I have tried to situate her pain and the inevitability of death in our shared surroundings.
About Zarin Virji
Zarin Virji is a graduate of the creative writing programme from the University of Sheffield, UK. For over three decades she has played the role of a teacher, teacher trainer and head of school.
Teaching and writing are her twin passions. From 1996 to 2006, she served as the executive editor of the journal, ‘Classroom’, a safe space for all matters related to education. At present, she heads an international school called ‘The Universal School’ in Mumbai.
Her writing is as much about expressing spontaneous feeling as it is about grappling with socio-economic realities of our times. Her poetry and short stories have been featured in 'The Research Scholar', 'Route 57', 'The Best Asian Short Stories, 2018' and 'The Wire’ Her first book, ‘Gopal’s Gully’ was published by Duckbill Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House India, in February 2021.