An Interview With Author Kiran Bhat

“Author Kiran Bhat is a man that is unafraid to take literary risks – would you be interested in reading his book, “We Of The Forsaken World?“ was my introduction by Ben Cameron, who kindly sent me a copy of the book, published by Iguana Books. I am unafraid to jump in and read books which are not “run of the mill” and certainly this is a book that made me think. “We Of The Forsaken World” is about a mix of global issues (pre COVID-19) condensed into one book – 4 main stories set around the world, locations unspecified, as seen from 16 individual points of view:

  • a man who journeys to the birthplace of his mother which is in a tourist town that has been spoiled by an industrial spill.
  • a nameless remote tribe – striving for succession when a 2nd son is born, and the fight to stop the jungle being destroyed by loggers.
  • in a city, a homeless one-armed woman sets out to seek revenge upon the men who trafficked her.
  • in a small village of shanty shacks, a milkmaid naively watches her reputation being systematically destroyed by girls she called friends.

My favourite story was the milkmaid one, but all 4 made you think and each character of each story presented their viewpoint on the same scenario. Very clever way of presenting a story. If you are looking for a quick read, then this book is not for you. I found the book enjoyable once I had understood that different viewpoints were being represented and I found myself adding my point of view to the situations too!

The book may have been interesting, but the author Kiran also peaked my interest antennae! According to his author blurb, he has devoted his life to writing fiction about global experiences. Having travelled to over 130 countries, he has lived in 18 different places and speaks 12 languages. Definitely a person I had to interview…. so, hi Kiran!

Hello. I’m Kiran. I am an Indian-American traveler, polyglot, and writer. I was formed in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, my family is from Southern Karnataka in India, and I’ve lived all over the world. I try to use these different pieces of me to create globalising art. I’m interested in challenging the bounds of the Me vs You, the My Country vs Your Country in art. I think I do this in various different projects, but “ we of the forsaken world…”  is the one getting the most attention thus far. 

Your book, “We of the forsaken world” is truly intriguing and thought provoking  – a collection of 16 mini stories of 4 situations, each situation from 4 points of view – covering a range of current global and human issues including grief, jealousy, abuse, violence, sexuality, industrial spills, logging in jungle areas, trafficking, mobile phones, parent-child relationships, greed. I was fascinated by the milkmaid character – her need to fit in and be liked, her naivety, her sudden realisation that the girls she called friends were destroying her reputation. But what really made you decide to write a novel like this? 

“we, of the forsaken world…” came to me in 2011, when I was on a bus between Dubrovnik and Zagreb. A tall, brunette woman with a lingering stare sat down next to me on one of the stops. We began to talk about a host of things I can’t remember now, but the one thing that she told me which did remain in my head was the following: Croatia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Something about that sentence inspired my imagination. After we reached the bus station, I had to sit on one of the metal benches for a few hours, and write. I was starting to imagine different countries, completely imagined in my head. One was a half-rich half poor megalopolis, the sort found in most third-world countries. Then, there was a town that wasn’t so different looking from my grandmother’s place, the southern Indian city of Mysore. There was a tribe in the middle of nowhere, not to mention a town of great touristic importance, destroyed by an industrial spill. I also imagined hundreds of voices. Though, over the course of time, those two hundred-so voices became around sixteen; the most distinct and boisterous of the lot.

I enjoyed reading the book  – I grew to like how you wrote the book as the stories unfolded –  the mix of perspectives, the mix of characters. What was, for you, the hardest part(s) to write about?

Trying to make all of the sixteen characters and four regional voices feel realistic. Also trying to make it so that the structure would work. I kept trying different things, but finally settled on the poetic interludes. It’s now a lot of readers’ favourite thing about the book.

As you have travelled to over 130 countries, lived in at least 18 different places and can speak 12 languages – did you base your mini stories on any places or experiences in particular?

I think my regions are a mix of different places which really inspired me. I would say the city of Mysore, the global cities of Sao Paulo, Guayaquil, and Nairobi, the landscapes of Manu Jungle and the Masai Mara, the stories of Bhopal and Chernobyl, parts of Lake Van, Lake Victoria, and coastal Java. But, I would say that most of the things about this book were imagined, and created from my desire to spark new worlds. So, I don’t think you would see a lot of these places directly in my writing. They manifest in my sub-conscious, and help me to imagine clearer, or better. 

So, as we are talking travelling, where has been your favourite place you’ve visited or lived in so far? 

Well, I consider myself a Mumbaikher. I think Mumbai is the city of India which faces the world, which is why it makes most sense for an Indian origin person of globalising intents to write from. That being said, Istanbul, being the crossroads of the world, is also one of my favourite cities, and I think New York, which has all of the world inside of it, is also up there. 

Which place have you visited that you have felt didn’t actually live up to your expectations?

I don’t think I travel that way. I think I like certain things of certain places, but if a place doesn’t ‘live up to my expectations,’ it isn’t the place’s fault. It just wasn’t meant to be. I don’t think there any countries or cities that I dislike or hate. It’s more that they just weren’t my taste.

When it comes to your personal reading delights – what genre/authors do you read? Kindle or book?

I tend to be a classics person. If it comes from the Vedic period of Indian literature, the Golden Age of Russian writing, European realism, or American modernism, I’m most likely going to adore it. To give names, I love Vyasa, Valmiki, Bana, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Melville, Faulkner, etc. I tend to read on both book and Kindle, but since I travel, I tend to use my Kindle more. It’s just more convenient when you change countries every few months, and I don’t feel like it changes much for me.

Are there any other book ideas in the pipeline for 2020 and beyond?

I have a giant book that I am going to write over the course of a decade, which will take place in 365 different locations on the planet, in the minds of two archetypes that take different regional form over the course of various story structures. It’s a complex book of its own. I’d love to talk about it more in detail, once I start putting it out formally next year. 🙂 

Is “We Of The Forsaken World” available to purchase worldwide?

Yes, largely on the typical digital platforms, like Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, etc. I have gotten the book into some indie bookstores in India and the USA. Will let you know if I get it stocked in the UK. 

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

I wear a lot of graphic-Ts, with jeans. I’m trying to look more alternative, like the global-nomad-meets-guru type, but I need a lot of help styling myself. Maybe I can hire you as a fashion consultant sometime. 🙂

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

Amazon? It’s where you can buy pretty much anything you want.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

Oh, god. I’m the last person to think about clothing, and anyone who has seen how I dress can attest to that. I suppose I need to buy some new shoes though, mostly because the ones I bought some months back are getting worn. I even tripped a few days back on my run, which I attest to partly Melbourne not being as well-paved as people would like to believe, and my shoes having lost some grip

Boots or Shoes?

Shoes, as per what I have said above. I also don’t live in muggy places, so I rarely wear boots. In fact, I think I have only worn boots twice in my life.

For pinning later

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

Yes! 

my website: https://kiranbhatweldgeist.com/

my author fan page:https://www.facebook.com/Kiran-Bhat-105125697596856

my instagram handle: originalsin_0421

my twitter: Weldgeist Kiran

Ah, great to chat to you Kiran and I don’t think there is anything wrong with graphic tees and denim jeans! Boots though… really you should give them a try!! 😊 Having been to Nairobi, I could envisage a lot of what you were saying in your book … and Mysore, the city that I read about as a young child whilst reading such stories as Mowgli, and I have had the city on my “bucket list” for decades!!

My thanks to Ben Cameron & Kiran Bhat for sending me a copy of “ we of the forsaken world…” to review; all photographs have been published with kind permission of Kiran Bhat.

Linda x

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