In Conversation with an accomplished poet: As she touches Golden Landmark (50 books) of literary Journey

 

Pankajam Kottarath (K.Pankajam) is a poet whose writing I had enjoyed reading right from the time of  her early works such as "Echoes" and "Whispering waves". Later we were both members of nurturing literary  groups like the online "Rate my literature" and the real time "Chennai poetry circle", where I got the opportunity to read and admire more of her poetry. 

In the meanwhile, Pankajam has travelled great distances. Today she is the author of  50 books (32 of which are poetry collections including one French Translation) that include fiction, poetry and literary criticism in English and  Malayalam. She has received many awards that include the Rock Pebbles National Literary award 2019, Reuel International Literary Award 2022 for Lifetime Achievement, Panorama International Book Award 2025, ISISAR Literary Eloquence Award 2024, Maharshi Ved Vyas Creative Author Poetry Award 2023, Global Literary Leadership Award 2022 instituted jointly by Gujarat Sahitya Academy and Motivational Strips, Guru Gopalakrishnan Kavitha Puraskaram 2022, among others.

It was a pleasure to get to know first-hand the lady's illustrious poetic journey over the years and also elicit her thoughts and emotions after the landmark achievement

Rajeev Moothedath (RM) : Warm greetings Pankajam!  I am so happy you agreed to this conversation.

Pankajam Kottarath(PK) : Thank you Rajeev. Happy to talk to you, anytime. 

RM:  Let us start at the very beginning, Could you tell us a little about your place of birth and family background?  

PK:  I am from Manalur village in the Trichur district of Kerala, that has a landscape of backwaters on two sides and vast paddy fields silhouetted by mango and coconut groves on another side.  Ours was a conservative middle-class family. My father was a teacher; my mother a great devotee of Lord Krishna. She used to worship the Lord on the first day of every month at Guruvayur temple. I used to tag along clinging to her saree on such trips. It was her daily routine to read Ramayana and Mahabharata with a unique rhythm of her own. I think all these have influenced me and unconsciously crept  into my writing later on. 

RM:  That is interesting. Are there other incidents that moulded your life in general and writing in particular? 

PK:  I lost my mother when in her early forties. Perhaps, as they say God calls back early those who are dearer to him. I had lost my father two years prior. This meant being the eldest, the care of my three younger siblings fell in my inept hands. At that time, I was only seventeen and married as well. I thank God for blessing me with enormous patience, perseverance and a sense of balance that helped me tide over those difficult times. Perhaps those life experiences were dormant seeds of thought that influenced my writing later.

RM:  Circumstances required you to play a role of a mature adult with major responsibilities at a very young age!  Would you like to tell us about your education and career? 

PK :  I did my schooling up to PUC in my hometown and later moved to Chennai to obtain a degree in commerce from Madras University. Later, after joining BHEL, I did CAE, PG diplomas in Financial Management and Taxation Laws. 

I am very emotional by nature and value personal relationships above all else. Although I had cleared 9 out of 10 papers in ICWAI groups I & II, the sudden demise of my best friend and young colleague, who also wrote ICWAT along with me devastated me to such an extent that I could not continue and complete ICWAI.   

  I retired as Deputy Manager-Finance from BHEL, Chennai. I have a sense of satisfaction and pride that I completed my official assignments effectively with commitment. Now, retirement leaves me with ample time to pursue my first love- poetry and literature. 

RM:  So, when and how did the writing bug bite you?  

PK: Frankly, I really do not know when and how poetry started entering my bonnet; more than one factor seems to have drawn me towards poetry. At my father’s house, there used to be Aksharaslokam recitals in Malayalam in which my father’s elder brother actively participated. As a child I used to join in these literary gatherings just for fun. 

 Being a sensitive and non-vocal person, I found it difficult to express my feelings openly when upset, disappointed or angry about something. Instead of speaking out, I used to put it down on paper and tear it off later. This helped me to ward off negativity. I also started jotting down about things that touched my heart. However, I didn’t feel like showing these deluges to anybody, as I considered them trivial. Finally, I gathered enough courage to submit one of my poems for a poetry contest held by my employer. To my pleasant surprise and disbelief, I won the first prize! The journey had begun; I published my first book in 2006. 

RM: Why write or rather what motivates you to write?  

PK:  Writing relieves me from monotony and stress, gives me the opportunity to connect with like-minded people. When it comes to poetry, it is a means to convey powerful messages in less number of words. I write poetry from the heart rather than the brain. While providing the opportunity to unleash my wealth of creativity, writing helps to talk of social issues, spread messages of love, peace and universal brotherhood.

RM:  What are your preferred subjects for writing?  

PK :  Well, I am a lover of nature and so many of my poems are on nature. Many of my poems also deal with women’s issues. I have also written on themes such as love, relationships, environment, fate of animals, old-age, death etc.

Besides, I have written exclusive poetry collections on spirituality, women, Love, books on each of the five elements, Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Ether and also a book solely on world peace.  All of them are listed at Amazon.in

RM:  Yes, I also particularly love your nature poems. Could you share with readers your writing process?  

PK : I make short notes instantly about the experiences I come across, newspaper reports, social stigmas, a picture that tells a story. Anything that strikes a chord in my consciousness prompts me to write. Often, I am able to write a fully developed poem at a stretch, sometimes not. However, then I keep on editing it till I am satisfied.

RM: You write in English and in your mother tongue Malayalam. In which language are you more comfortable writing? Writing in which language gives you more satisfaction?  

PK: I am comfortable working in both the languages. My mother tongue Malayalam, the language I dream in and grew up listening and talking is dear and close to my heart. However, I also realize that writing in English gives me the advantage of more reach and readership. In short, I love both languages passionately. 

RM: You have now reached the landmark of having published 50 books. What is the feeling that comes to you on this accomplishment? 

PK:    It’s a great feeling mixed with so many emotions; on the one side a sense of achievement, while on the other of being humbled and a feeling of gratitude to the almighty. I also feel grateful to my poet friends and poet fraternity in general who supported me in honing my skills over the years and also to my supportive family.

To my mind, I am only a tool in the hands of the almighty and if I have achieved anything, it cannot be attributed entirely to my ability. I simply put my sincere and best efforts in whatever I do. I am happy when it works; if not I take lessons from it.

RM: Would you like to remember people in particular who have supported you in the journey and made this accomplishment possible?  

It’s a long list. This space is too small to mention all their names. There are many who supported me, guided me, inspired me, encouraged me and who believed in me and my works. In this connection, I remember with gratitude member friends in poetic groups like India Poetry Circle, Chennai Poets Circle, Rate My Literature (now redundant), The Significant League, Motivational Strips, HaVen International, The British Council Poetry Group, to name a few.

With respect to the publication, I would like to place on record my profuse gratitude to the publishing house Authorspress and its CEO Sudarshan Kcherry  who published 39 of my books. I would also like to acknowledge with gratitude the contribution and support of those in the Malayalam literary publication field for publishing my books.

RM :  Looking back, do you see any change in your style of writing or in the interests and content of your writing over the years?

PK:  There certainly would be a change since we mature with age both in terms of physical age as also in terms of the years of writing experience. Yet I have always been a poor judge when it comes to assessing my own books! I leave it to my readers to point out the differences if any.

RM:  What are your views on modern trends in poetry? Further, what message would you like to give budding poets starting out on their journey? 

PK:  The current trend in poetry is towards free or open verse. Shorter forms of poetry are becoming more popular; brevity and simplicity could rope in more readers. I read a lot of the works of contemporary poets. The younger generation poets are a promising lot. They are bold in their expression. 

To the budding poets I would like to suggest that it would be great if they could write with correctness, conciseness and clarity. Here, Correctness refers  both to the expression and the content; Conciseness to economizing the words and Clarity to clear and logical thoughts. It may be difficult to incorporate these, all at once. 

RM: Now, to my last question. Having achieved so much as a writer, what are your aspirations for the future? 

PK:  I am happy if I continue to express my thoughts effectively and my voice is heard. If my words inspire even a single soul, I would consider myself blessed. It would be great if it makes an impact on readers' mind, create my own niche, even if it is a small dot in the big canvas of literature.  

As for my future aspirations, I have no specific agenda as such, except to be in the flow and float in its force, but not to sink in the process. Writing is cathartic for me and I want to be active as long as I can.

RM: That was a very holistic, engaging and fascinating conversation! Thanks a lot Pankajam! 

PK: Thank you Rajeev for having me. I also enjoyed talking to you.