OF ECLECTIC WRITING ABOUT CORPORATE NIRVANA

Chirdeep Malhotra . Updated: 11/12/2019 3:17:50 PM Books and Authors

Author Interview: Runjhun Noopur

Runjhun Noopur is an ex-corporate lawyer, a bestselling author, a dancer, speaker, happiness coach and an entrepreneur. Her pieces have been widely published by various national and international publications including the Huffington Post, the Times of India, and Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her debut Nirvana in a Corporate Suit, a wacky book on finding happiness, has been garnering rave reviews from all across. As an entrepreneur, she is enjoying her stint as the co-founder of ECORK Co-working and Creative Spaces. In a candid chat with Chirdeep Malhotra, she talks about her latest book, her writing journey, her favourite books and authors, and much more.


Please tell us more about Runjhun Noopur as a person.

I am not sure if I am the right person to actually answer this question. Other people in my life would be better suited to share their thoughts on this. Because as Zulfi observes in Nirvana, if you ask me, I am always going to be the protagonist of this story, always the good guy! But jokes apart, I think as a person, I am just another human being trying to find and fulfil the purpose of her existence, which to me has always been centred around keeping people I love, my family, my friends and my own self happy, and of course writing.


Has writing always been a part of your life? Or did you chance upon it later on and then instantly fell in love with it?

I have been writing for as long as I can remember. My love affair with writing is more like a steady, old-fashioned marriage. I don’t remember when I fell in love with writing, only that I have been irrevocably and unequivocally in love with it since forever. It is essential to my existence like breathing. It is my spiritual anchor that keeps me afloat.


Can you tell us more about your book “Nirvana in a Corporate Suit”?

“Nirvana in a Corporate Suit” is essentially an average corporate guy's quest for happiness. It is a story with strong elements of adventure, magic, and spirituality. This journey takes us and our hero into the wilderness of the Himalayas where magical alternate reality welcomes him into a world littered with talking mirrors, dimensions that feel like a multi-level game, and are designed (and scored) like a Hollywood big budget production, and a spiritual mentor who calls himself Baba, is an ex-Rockstar with a dubious backstory, and happens to be a rabid Kurt Cobain fan. Nirvana is comically profound and profoundly comic, a tale of adventure that subverts the very idea of self-help in favor of creating a story that uses entertainment, hilarity and thrill in covert service of promoting the larger principles of happiness and spiritual well being.


How has the response of readers been to your book?

The response has been very warm and encouraging. I have been hearing from readers from across the country who have loved the chemistry and banter between Baba and Zulfi, and how the themes and lessons on personal happiness are woven in a hilarious and entertaining narrative. In fact, a psychotherapist wrote to me to let me know that not only she absolutely loved the book, she thought that the ideas it contained were extremely relevant and she has started recommending it in her therapy sessions!


How did the idea of writing this book emerge?

My own tryst with the corporate world as a lawyer triggered a lot of existential questions for me with regard to our state of true happiness, especially in context of our material existence. I realized pretty early on in my rather short-lived corporate career that our happiness was rarely a function of the number of zeroes in our paycheck. The question, then, was what is it that makes us happy? And is it possible for us to find a middle path between our demanding and grueling material ambitions/well-being, and personal happiness? Is it possible for us, irrespective of who we are and what we do, to actually find happiness that is holistic, in spiritual, emotional and material sense? Nirvana is inspired by my own personal quest to find those answers, and along the way help my readers find a few answers of their own.


What are your favourite books? Can you share with our esteemed readers about the genres that you like and your favourite authors?

I am a huge fan of genre fiction, specifically fantasy. I also love stories that mix spirituality with magic and fiction. My favourite authors and influences include O Henry, Neil Gaiman, Arthur Conan Doyle, Ruskin Bond, Douglas Adams, and Paulo Coelho. My favourite books include Brida, The Zahir, The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, Sapiens and The Graveyard Book to name a few.


What do you think is the literary scenario in contemporary Indian English fiction?

Contemporary English fiction, broad as that category is, has gone through a metamorphosis of sorts in the last decade or so. The markets have really opened up for a variety of writing, and for once, we seem to have space and appetite within the domestic market for an eclectic range of books. However, as a prominent publisher I was in conversation with recently pointed out, we are slowly turning into a country of writers, not readers. And that, given the staggering number of books we publish each year, is generally a tricky situation to have. But as Ruskin Bond once pointed out, reading was, is and perhaps will always be a minority hobby. The fact that the writing culture in our country is expanding is in itself is a heartening paradigm shift that will definitely benefit the whole ecosystem. Writers, after all, tend to be great readers too!


You have co-founded ECORK Coworking and Creative Spaces, which is a unique eco-conscious initiative that seeks to redefine work/life balance through coworking, collaboration, coaching and curation. Can you tell us more about this pursuit of yours?

I was exposed to the burgeoning start up culture in our country pretty early on in my career, and the learnings that I picked dabbling as a start up junkie stuck with me. I have been involved with several small start ups, mostly in the training and coaching sector, before I decided to take a plunge and set up something of my own. ECORK Co-working and Creative Spaces is essentially an expression of my own personal beliefs (that also form the core of my book Nirvana) about the impact happy and healthy workplaces can have on our general quality of life, happiness and work/life balance. As an entrepreneur, being the co-founder of ECORK is exciting, challenging and invigorating, not just because we have had a great response so far, but also because it allows me to learn, grow and gather experiences that eventually contribute to my growth as a writer.


What are your other interests apart from writing?

My co-working venture takes a lot of my non-writing time, as do my trainings and workshops which I conduct for corporate organizations across the country. I am also a content strategy expert and consult with several brands on their online and offline content strategy. Beyond work; reading, flipping TV channels the old fashioned way, cooking, eating and spending time with family are my favorite pastimes.


There are many new writers and poets who are aspiring to get their work published. What would you say to them?

Persistence. Writing is hard. Getting published is harder. And the only thing that can sustain an aspiring writer is their ability to persist despite the mounting odds and never lose faith in their work and the possibility that someone, someday will see the potential in their work and offer them the chance they deserve. Of course, one needs to keep working and honing their skills along the way but ultimately we, as writers, have to look beyond our own self doubts, and be our own cheerleaders. Because if we won’t bet on our selves, how will anyone else will?


Can you share with our readers a motivational quote that keeps you going?

I am a huge believer in the magic of the Universe, and completely devoted to the idea of hope and happiness. I also believe that we must ask for what we want, and never be too scared to ask for more, because the Universe is always listening. And the quote that always reminds me to have faith in the mystic and the benevolence of the Universe are these famous lines by Rumi- “The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don't go back to sleep. You must ask for what you really want. Don't go back to sleep.”


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