Oxford Bookstore launches Jyoti Jha’s book ‘The Realms of Human Emotions’

One of the pioneers who paved way for engaging intellectual activity and providing a state-of-the-art ‘base-camp for journeys of the mind’ to the book lovers, Oxford Bookstore has been serving millions of happy customers for nearly 100 years. The only bookstore in the country to curate multiple literary festivals, Oxford Bookstore offers both writers and readers an enhanced experience in the world of literature and publishing.

Adapting to the world of digitization, shelter-in-place orders, and the need for physical distancing, the platform has been offering Digital Book Launches to both new and established authors to bring literature online and provide an unhindered celebration of new publications.

Recently, the bookstore launched author Jyoti Jha’s book ‘The Realms of Human Emotions’ in association with Literia Insight. The digital event was conducted on 21st September 2021 via Zoom streaming and Facebook Live at the prestigious platform of Oxford Bookstore. The book launch was initiated in the kind presence of Mr. Atul Kumar Gautam, Senior Executive PR; Oxford Bookstore, and was moderated and co-hosted by Mr. Nitish Raj, Co-Founder; Literia Insight.

'The Realms of Human Emotions' is a collection of short stories which explores varied human sentiments from different phases of life and various walks of life. The book has received much love from the readers and has been praised and appreciated by renowned media houses like The Times of India and The FreePress Journal.

The book launch comprised of many interesting discussions about the author’s journey in the literary field, the process of writing and publishing, and her memories and moments about the making of the book. The event began with the author’s introduction where the author added the highlights of her journey as being an HR Professional, a globe-trotter, a full-time mother, and to beginning her second inning in the field of literature and writing. She further shared that the deep longing to become an author had always been there considering her literature-engrained upbringing and exposure to rich literature right from her school days. It was only after she won the title of ‘TOI Write India Season 3’ for author Upamanyu Chatterjee’s prompt, that the moment of realization struck. She shared instances from her wonderful journey of being a writer, a blogger, and becoming a published author with the honor of being a Jury Member at the prestigious The Literary Club of IIT BHU recently.

Nitish Raj, who is also the Editor-in-Chief at The Literary Mirror, prompted the author to share her insight on the most difficult part of writing, to which she replied, “I used to think that writing is the most difficult part, but I was wrong. Writing is the easiest job, it is what comes later, is the most difficult phase. To convert that manuscript in your hand into the form of a book that reaches the hands of the readers, is the most challenging part.” The discussion further carried on interestingly with the author sharing her views on trying out various genres as a writer. She believes that writing in different genres helps the authors not only improve their writing but also grow as a person. It sets the ever-evolving process and helps the authors step out of their comfort zones.

The author further shared that writing is therapeutic for both the writers and the readers, and it helps establish a connection between the two. She also shared how having pets and trying to connect to the other species helps us develop our spiritual aspect as human beings and enhances our writing abilities. “It is rightly said and believed that people with higher emotional intelligence are better writers", she said, when asked about the importance of emotions in our life.

Jyoti shared the challenge of procrastination as her kryptonite as a writer, and how she is working towards overcoming it gradually. She also said, “A writer’s block is real and probably it is the second stage of procrastination. I have faced this, and luckily, I could emerge out victoriously from it. Writer’s block may happen to any writer, new or established, and at any stage of writing, for any duration. Most important thing is to get out of it effectively.” Nitish asked the author how she handles negative reviews and critics of her work, to which the author said, “Negative reviews although cause momentary setback, but they are equally important as positive feedback because they help the writers grow and make room for improvement both as a person and as a writer. Such critics should be taken constructively for personal growth and improving self-esteem.”

While discussing her goal as a writer, Jyoti shared that she primarily envisions herself as a storyteller, and around that she would continue exploring different genres to keep evolving as a writer. She idolizes the famous Canadian writer and master storyteller Alice Munro, and she is a big fan of Munro’s magical writing. “How the legendary writer revolutionized short story writing and the way she deciphers human complexities through simplistic use of different elements in her writing, is something to look up to, and to learn from”, Jyoti said. She further shared her liking for stories by the legends Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekov, Munshi Premchand, Mannu Bhandari, and so many more writers who rule the hearts of both readers and writers alike through their evergreen writing. Nitish shared his insight on the subject and how his favorite novelist, Franz Kafka, inspires him as a writer.

The event concluded effectively with the author sharing her message for the budding writers and first-time writers. She said, “Write straight from your heart and write what you want to write. Don’t get into the mental trap of what the market demands, or whether your work will find a publishing place, or even if you feel your work is currently making no sense; you never know what clicks when, so keep writing and read a lot along the process. Re-inculcate the habit of reading because while video content is entertaining, literature and books are enriching. Literature helps us grow as individuals and as writers.”