The fame that accompanies being a writer is an enigma that Durjoy Datta has pondered upon, as he perceives it to be a small world where he can wander incognito, unnoticed by strangers, except for those who have tasted his words. He regards books as faint whisper in the wind, discernible only to the most attentive ears.
Datta's writing process centres on themes and characters,
rather than predetermined plot structures, as he believes that every book has a
heart, and once he has it in his head, he starts to write about it, adding
characters that he has roughly etched in his mind and allowing them to shape
the story, preferring not to outline too many plot details in advance because
he feels that the characters determine their own destiny.
While Datta prefers to leave the marketing of his books to his
publishers, he is also interested in it himself. His primary goal is to ensure
that his readers are aware of his latest works and have the chance to read them.
He wants them to know that he has written another book and they should buy it. All
of his marketing efforts are geared towards reaching his readers and informing
them about his most recent releases, working closely with his publishers to
ensure that his readers are always in the loop about his newest books. This, he
says, has helped him build a devoted following over the years.
As Durjoy Datta looks back on his career spanning two decades,
he muses over the persistent label of being a young and upcoming writer, a
moniker that has accompanied him since his early days. Such titles hold little
weight in the grand scheme of things, since once a book leaves his hands and
enters the world, its reception is determined not by the age of the author but
the appeal of the work.
Datta firmly believes that the publishing industry does not
discriminate based on age, but rather values the quality of the writing, as
publishers seek fresh voices, regardless of the age of the writer, and editors
crave the next literary sensation. In his interactions with editors over the
years, he has never sensed any bias against writers of a certain age, unless
they are celebrities seeking to capitalize on their fame. He says in this realm,
the writer's profile and age hold little sway once the book hits the stands.
He remains grounded and devoted to the delicate task of
balancing his family and his writing, which demands an immense amount of
patience and effort, given that his five-year-old daughter adores his undivided
attention. He confronts this with an unflinching zeal for life, even though he
admits that raising a child requires a lot of patience and effort, particularly
if one is a stay-at-home parent, and he continues to strive to strike a balance
between his personal and professional life.
For Datta, it is imperative to keep writing and sharing his
stories with his readers, regardless of one's age or how long one has been
writing, and his perseverance and commitment was evident in his eyes as he
spoke to this chronicler at Jaipur Literature Festival 2023.
