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n Gomantak Times, Panjim, Wednesday, March 16, 2011 I FEATURES I 12

Writers Unblocked
Who’s Who and What
V elim-born and Margao-raised, BEN ANTAO believes that sex and
money are drivers of human enterprise, themes that recur in his sto-
ries and novels, and in pursuit of which he escaped to Canada.

The vivacious and creative Goa Writers have come up with their very first anthology I SABEL DE SANTA RITA VAS tries to juggle many hats- the writer’s,
the theatre-person’s, the teacher’s being some of them. She is con-
vinced she was born old and is growing younger- these things do hap-
‘inside/out’. LISA MONTEIRO takes this opportunity to find out who they are and what pen sometimes.

they do as she speaks to Cecil Pinto, humour columnist and moderator of the group. F REDERICK NORONHA’s constantly changing facial hair grew grey

H
ow and when
did the Goa
Writers group
start?
In 2005 Vic-
tor Rangel-
R i b e i r o
conducted a
two-day Creative Writing Work-
shop at the Fundacao Oriente
in Panjim. After it concluded a
few of us participants decided to
interact regularly online and in
real life. That’s how Goa Writers
came into existence. We started
out with just five of us and we
are now about fifty. Our first
meeting was in a small storage
room attached to Broadway Book
Store in Panjim.
What do you all do?
We meet every month somewhere
or the other. At a member’s resi-
dence, or office, or in a book shop,
or at any convenient place. At a
regular meeting we take up a
member’s work for critiquing. It
is circulated online among the
members previously and at the
meet we meet, give criticism and
suggestions.
in cyberspace. He has named his three children Riza, Aren and Goa
1556, the last of which has published more than 20 books so far. He
sits cross-legged in cyberia like a venerable sage, promoting intellec-
tual and internetual freedom.
A NIRUDDHA SEN GUPTA likes to laugh and make people laugh,
but when he starts writing, some other personality emerges and
takes over. He’s had a couple of books published and that’s gone to his
head, so he’s going with the flow.
E verything is possible- German writer KORNELIA SANTORO chose
this credo early on. After travelling through India on an Enfield Bul-
let, she settled in Goa with her Italian husband and son.
V IDYADHAR GADGIL is a hack who actually enjoys writing, but, be-
ing a contrarian, he prefers editing what others write. He has lived
in Goa long enough to call it home, but, on the principle that home is
sweetest when you are not in it, currently lives in Kathmandu.
dropouts along the way by a
Everybody’s reading ‘inside/out’ few people who thought their
work was above criticism. Good
luck to them. I would also like to
A s a journalist, PAMELA D’MELLO has been interpreting Goa for the
national press, but now imagines she can expand her boundaries
and interpret life itself!
take this opportunity to dispel
At 6 pm on March 23 at Literati a canard being spread by an
Bookshop in Calangute, Amitav
ex-member. He claims he left be-
cause we have a rule that every
S ince there are ‘undo’ or ‘delete’ buttons in life, SHEELA JAYWANT
steps on plenty of ‘ouches’ and marches on regardless. She writes
because otherwise words would burst out of her ears with all the things
work by every member has to be
Ghosh will release Goa Writers’ submitted to the group before be-
ing sent for publication. This is
she’s dying to tell everyone about. Believes you only live once and if
you live right, once is enough.
first compilation book - ‘inside/ total nonsense. Even of each of
out: New Writing from Goa’.
us writes just a 1000 words every
week that would mean works to-
C ECIL PINTO dabbles in many diverse activities to make a living,
while remaining consistent in producing his unique brand of Goa-
centric humour writing. Cecil claims to be ‘world famous all over Goa’
talling 50,000 words to be read
LISA MONTEIRO gets Cecil and critiqued every week. Who
has the time for this? There is
and is not too keen on expanding these horizons, while sipping his be-
loved Caju Feni and observing the ways of the world.

Pinto talking about the book. no compulsion on members to

What sort of work do members send in their work.
D esperate housewife MELINDA POWELL used to fly the world’s
skies. These days you are more likely to find her in the comfort of

submit?
Usually something that they plan
to publish, or send to a publica-
tion. For example if I have writ-
ten a short story and plan to send
it to a magazine I might ask for
it to be critiqued at a meeting so
that I can improve it before I send
it in. Submissions for critiquing
have included stories, columns,
feature articles, essays, entire
novel manuscripts, book ideas,
movie screenplays, poems, play
ideas, what-have-you.
So basically you just critique
each other’s work?
Well most of us also go drink-
ing after the meeting. Ha! But
on an average meeting, yes, it is
basically critiquing. But we have
special meetings where we get
guest writers, editors and pub-
lishers to address us. There are
so many talented people from the
field passing through Goa and we
try and interact with them, to
learn more about the craft and
the business of writing.
How has the group helped you?
I am a founder member and a
moderator, along with Jose Lou-
renco and Frederick Noronha.
Being part of Goa Writers has
helped me immensely. Keep in
mind that in addition to our
monthly meetings we are inter-
acting online every day on writ-
ing and related matters. Often I
have been stuck with a column
and I have sent it to the group
and got invaluable suggestions.
I have met and interacted closely
with so many interesting people,
members and their guests, who I
would never have met otherwise.
And of course so many windows
of opportunity have opened.
When some group member gets
a writing assignment that he
cannot handle he asks someone
from the group if they would be
interested.
Can anybody join?
We define ourselves as ‘A group
of writers with a strong Goa con-
nection hoping to improve our
writing skills through interac-
tion, online and at regular meet-
ings.’ So if you have a strong Goa
connection and wish to improve
your skills through interaction
you are most welcome to join.
The procedure is pretty simple.
Find yourself a sponsor- any
existing member of the group
who will vouch for you. Through
the sponsor you send in a self-
intro and some of your work to
the group which then decides
whether you can join.
How does a prospective member
find a sponsor?
You don’t find the Phantom.
Phantom finds you - Old Jungle
Saying. Just kidding. Ask
around. Here are a few names
of our members. Isabel Vas,
H
ow did this anthology come about?
Over the years we have often toyed with
the idea of compiling a book of our writ-
ings but nobody has ever taken the idea forward.
Finally three years back Helene Derkin Menezes
decided to take it on as a project and over many
months managed to cajole and threaten and coax
us to send in contributions. It was a long process
as only ‘fresh’ writing was acceptable, and not
something that had already been published. Af-
ter this tedious exercise of getting in and compil-
ing the contributions, Helene was joined by Jose
Lawrence in the process of getting each piece
edited and proof read. They were then joined by
Annirudha Sen Gupta who did the formatting,
typesetting and designing. Other members did
help out but Helene, Jose and Annie are the core
group who saw this effort through brilliantly.
It must have been a complex process working
with 29 writers?
Let’s say it has been a trying process for them
three and a learning process for us all. Every
decision had to be taken transparently and
with consensus. Every option had to be
explored; every opinion discussed.
When you have fifty creative writ-
ers involved in a project you have
fifty different opinions -all equally
valid. How do we name the book?
What is the cover design going
to be? Do we have illustrations?
Photos? What font do we use?
What about photos of contribu-
tors? Do we need an Introduction?
To each writer too? How big should
the book be? What should we price it at?
Each agonising decision taken over multiple
discussions. And the process goes on… What sort
of launch do we have? Where and when? Do we
have a pre-launch press conference? Who all do
we give review copies? Do we give credit to dis-
tributors? What discount do we give to retailers?
What is the significance of the title ‘inside/out’?
Well at the time that we decided to do a compila-
tion book, we decided there should be a unify-
ing theme. We played with many concepts and
then someone suggested inside/out which we
all liked. The theme has been interpreted in so
many different ways by different members.
It is rare to find work of established writers
alongside amateurs. Comment.
It makes for a nice mix doesn’t it? But quite
frankly I don’t see any of the pieces as amateur-
ish. They might have been written by non-estab-
lished writers but each piece has gone through a
critiquing and editing process that has polished
the piece into something very readable.
Damodar Mauzo, Fatima Gra- and so we have an eclectic mix
cias, Vivek Menezes, Prava of teachers, engineers, journal-
Rai, Sucheta Potnis, Wendell ists, flower sellers, publishers,
Rodricks, Aniruddha Sen Gupta, booksellers, cooks, shop keepers,
Savia Viegas, Tony de Sa, Sheela housewives, tailors, what-have-
Jaywant, Alito Sequeira, Rahul you. Each member brings a cer-
Srivastava, Sachin Chatte, Lu- tain strength to the table.
cano Alvares, Venita Coelho,
Kornelia Santoro… if you don’t Is there a membership fee?
know any of these people then No. None at all. The word spon-
you must be living in a cave. sor here is used in its original
Goa is a small place. Everybody meaning: One who vouches for
knows somebody. the suitability of a candidate for
admission
That’s quite an interesting mix
of people. But how many of them Has anybody been refused
are full-time writers? membership?
Most of our members in fact Well occasionally people with no
don’t write full-time for a living permanent Goa connection want
What is the aim of this book?
Some of us who don’t have a book to our name
wanted something to sign. Just kidding. There
was no profound aim. We wanted to have some-
thing to show for our existence as Goa Writers.
What audience are you targeting?
Anyone who is interested in fresh writing from
Goa.
How can you justify the articles contributed
by foreigners in the book? Aren’t there
enough Goan writers out there?
Please understand that we are Goa
Writers and not Goan Writers. All
these ‘foreigners’ are very much
active members of our group
and have a strong connection
to Goa by domicile, marriage,
work, ethnicity, whatever. Also
we don’t intend to be wholly
representative of writing from
Goa. Sure there are many writers
in Goa, and there are Goan writers
who are not members of our group.
This book is from the Goa Writers group
and so it represents just us.
The topics are unconventional and light. Fred-
erick writes of his romance with cyberspace,
you of the few minutes before your wedding,
Melinda about settling down in Goa and life
in the village. The book is far from boring. It
is fresh with many personal experiences in it.
What prompted the group not to come up with
the standard book on Goa and how did these
myriad topics emerge?
Thanks! That’s one great compliment and my
fellow Goa Writers will be thrilled to read that.
It just goes to show what a creative bunch we
are. Everyone was just told to interpret the
theme ‘inside/out’. No Goa, no nothing. Just
inside/out.
This is the result. I think by keeping the edito-
rial strings very loose we were able to collate
myriad interpretations. I read your question
again and see how it could make a fantastic
testimonial for our book.
who will participate in discus-
sions, and not voyeurs.
Not everybody is open to con-
structive criticism. How do you
handle this at Goa Writers?
Quite frankly if you cannot
take constructive criticism you
should not join the Goa Writ-
ers. Many of our members have
gained so much from the critiqu-
ing that Goa Writers features in
the Acknowledgement section
of many books. We have had
her garden chair, surrounded by her children and dogs, documenting
Considering that you all are a
life on the ground, one day at a time.
very creative lot, why didn’t you
all come up with a better name
H
ELENE DERKIN MENEZES likes her humour like her martinis
than Goa Writers group?
- very, very dry. When she isn’t pounding away at her keyboard in
It’s the Goa Writers group, or just
the land of words, you will find her sticking something in the oven or
Goa Writers. The word ‘group’
reading aloud to her children. She abhors people who litter and loves
is not part of our name but is
prawn curry, Goan style.
most often used in conjunction.
If you can come up with a name
M
ARIO COELHO likes seeing people laugh and smile, free of mal-
that better describes us I would
ice, hate and guile. He loves to dance, and act, and sing, he likes
be glad to put it to the group for
just doing his very own thing. He loves children, and adults who are
consideration.
kids as well, there are so many tales he’d like to tell…
Do you feel writing is for every-
I
t is said that one can always see MAFALDA MIMOSO vividly in what
body?
she writes but she has always sought to hide herself behind her
I’m not an established writer
words. Intellectual indiscretion is celebrated in her real and artistic life.
to answer such a profound
question but let’s just say one
F
or his entire adult life, VIVEK MENEZES (b. 1968) has been threat-
can never underestimate the
ening to write a book. It’s true that his essays and photographs are
value of good communication.
widely published, but it’s not the same thing and he knows it.
I personally encourage every-
one I know to write.
A
IMEE GINSBURG has been living in India for close to fourteen
There is so much to be said,
years (ten of them in Goa) with two sons and an ever growing pop-
so many stories to be told, I
ulation of lizards, snakes, scorpions and other delightful creatures. She
don’t see why everyone should
serves as the India correspondent for ‘Yedioth Achronoth’, Israel’s most
not pen down their thoughts.
widely read newspaper, and other international publications.
In this day of Internet, blogs,
webpages and Print-on-De-
S
UCHETA PONTIS has been writing all her life, which is not to say
mand publishing, everyone
that she has been published widely. In between, there have been
can become a writer. The read-
marriages, children, a career in travelling, moving from Bombay to Goa,
ing public will then sift the
spending time playing with dogs, eating, drinking, bird-watching and
good from the bad.
thus generally making the most of her life.
Has there been any high mo-
H
IMANSHU BURTE has finally accepted that he will keep moving
ment for the group in these past
across homes, disciplinary and real. Having practised architecture
six years?
in an earlier life, he now writes full-time, obsessed with humans and the
There have been many but
spaces they inhabit.
what comes to mind immedi-
ately is Amitav Ghosh’s praise
V
EENA GOMES-PATWARDHAN once lived amidst test tubes and
for our deliberations and his
petri-dishes. Now whenever she can tear herself away from her
wholehearted immersion in our
computer, and when she isn’t driving her grown-up sons nuts doling out
group activities when he is here
unasked-for advice, she indulges in research and development in the
in Goa.
kitchen.
Does the group have a website
A
MITAV GHOSH is one of India’s best-known writers. He divides his
or blog to its name?
time between Kolkata, Goa and Brooklyn.
As of now we don’t have a
website or blog. We are rather
B
orn, bred and living in the not-so-quiet seaside village of Majorda
low key, as you must have no-
in South Goa, DAMODAR MAUZO was once termed by an anchor
ticed, and make our presence
on Delhi Doordarshan as an ‘honorary Catholic’ for his in-depth writings
felt in many ways but without
depicting the Catholic lifestyle of Goa. He is mainly a writer of short
shouting from the rooftops. In
fiction, though his novels ‘Karmelin’ and Tsunami Simon’ have also be-
fact this is the first interview I
come widely popular.
have ever given regarding Goa
Writers and it is just to add
W
hen XAVIER COTA is not busy stirring his fellow villagers to pro-
to the publicity of our book
tect their coastal village of Betalbatim, he is engrossed in translat-
‘inside/out’.
ing his friend Damodar Mauzo’s Konkani stories.
What are the achievements of
T
ONY DE SA has tinkered for decades in the positions of teacher,
the group so far?
supervisor and headmaster at Sacred Heart, Parra, one of Goa’s
I don’t know if they are achieve-
oldest English medium schools. He is now in his second childhood,
ments, but let’s say we have
fooling around with computers and Linux.
conducted a lot of activities for
our members and guests. Many
J
OSE LOURENCO writes with his brain and his heart, using English
writing and editing workshops,
for the former and Konkani for the latter. Since he doesn’t know
a Literature Quiz, a Screen-
which is which, he is often guilty of bilingual intercourse.
writing Workshop and lots of
great parties! Of course we also
S
urrogate daughter of Henry Miller and Anais Nin, ROSALYN
partnered the Goa Literature
D’MELLO lives life like a lens, swallowing images, and recognis-
and Arts Festival last year and
ing what makes them sublime before putting the lens over her readers’
now we have a compilation book
eyes. Her words, like LSD, attempt to make reality seem fantastic.
‘inside/out’. But the underlying
and non-glamorous achievement
W
ENDELL RODRICKS is a fashion designer by profession and
is that our writing has improved
environmental activist by accident. He lives in Colvale village and
- hopefully.
writes occasionally on fashion, history and all things Goan.
F
ATIMA DA SILVA GRACIAS has written on health, hygiene and
food from a historical perspective in Goa, and in this process has
also kaleidoscoped the role of women in this land that she loves much.

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to join. Two years back there RAVA RAI lives on a mysterious island that drifts in and out of the
was a major Conference of Tech- fog on the Mandovi River. She is familiar with the parmal of Goa,
nical Writers happening in Goa and continues to seek Goa’s elusive fragrance, clearing the overgrowth
and suddenly we got a rash of of modernity to seek the flowers that bloom unseen.
applications. Turns out they just

S
wanted people to hang out with AVIA VIEGAS has recently retired from dog-walking under doctor’s
during their short holiday in advice and now only writes, paints and runs a pre-primary school in
Goa. I mean it’s not that we don’t Carmona.
like hanging out with interesting

V
people but Technical Writers. ICTOR RANGEL-RIBEIRO began writing feverishly at a very early
Bah! Also we don’t want people age. Eighty years later, geriatric specialists have confirmed what he
joining us purely for socialising has long suspected: the fever will never leave him. For this they spent
purpose or for networking. We years in medical college?
want people who are serious
about improving their writing. (Introduction to each of the 29 writers that appears in 'inside/out')
And we want active members

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