Unheard Voices

Express News Service

BENGALURU:  Part memoir, part travelogue, but wholly an exploration of the human spirit, Firefly Memories is the latest book of poetry from author Jonaki Ray. Launched recently in Bengaluru, the book is an exploration of stories and experiences that are often left unspoken. Mixing personal experiences with the political happenings of the world, Ray aims to give a voice to the voiceless. 

Yet, Ray, a former software engineer-turned-writer and recipient of numerous accolades, including the 2018 Forward Prize, and the 2018 Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Prize, says Firefly Memories is not confined to a singular theme. “The book isn’t about any one theme. It’s about various things, but if there is a common thread, it’s stories and experiences that are usually not written about, for instance, experiences of refugees and immigrants,” Ray adds. 

The book is divided into four parts, with the first and fourth parts drawing inspiration from Ray’s personal experiences. The second and third parts, she says, are dedicated to her travels and poetic responses to the world’s unfolding events, with her travel experiences playing a significant role in shaping the book’s narrative. “When I travel, I see things that are inspiring. For instance, I was in Istanbul in 2016-17 when the refugee crisis had just begun. I wrote about that. In a sense, it’s a travelogue but also a memoir because it does pick up elements from my personal life,” she says.

The theme of ‘memories’ is special for Ray, and it’s intricately woven throughout the book. “A lot of the book is about memories. And if you look at memories, for instance, if you go through your family history, you will see a certain pattern repeating because all of us have human desire and human goals,” Ray reflects, adding, “So I feel that we can learn from things that are happening around us. If you look at racism, if you look at bias against communities…you see all over the world. So there are certain cyclical patterns. Memories can also light up the darkness that’s around us.”

One of the striking aspects of Firefly Memories is its exploration of hidden stories of immigrants and refugees. Sharing her inspiration, Ray says, “When I was in Italy for a writing residency, I thought I would do the usual touristy things. So, I went to Rome, which was full of people, but especially people from Bangladesh. Most of them were immigrants and they would be very happy to talk to me in Bengali, even though the dialect was different.

Many of them hadn’t been able to go home, because of their uncertain visa status. They were essentially exiles. Many of them would be working multiple shifts in a day, living in shared rooms. In a sense, they were also travellers, but in reality, their travels were much different to mine or an average tourist. Being in Italy, I felt that their plight was similar to that of Dante Aligheri, who was himself displaced from his beloved city of Florence and had to leave behind everything he held dear. So I wrote about the stories of these immigrants, seeking stories that were beneath the surface and weaving a connection between them and Dante. It’s almost like a story, but not in a traditional way,” she concludes.

<br /> BENGALURU:  Part memoir, part travelogue, but wholly an exploration of the human spirit, Firefly Memories is the latest book of poetry from author Jonaki Ray. Launched recently in Bengaluru, the book is an exploration of stories and experiences that are often left unspoken. Mixing personal experiences with the political happenings of the world, Ray aims to give a voice to the voiceless. </p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.84 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.84 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Yet, Ray, a former software engineer-turned-writer and recipient of numerous accolades, including the 2018 Forward Prize, and the 2018 Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Prize, says Firefly Memories is not confined to a singular theme. “The book isn’t about any one theme. It’s about various things, but if there is a common thread, it’s stories and experiences that are usually not written about, for instance, experiences of refugees and immigrants,” Ray adds. </p> <p>The book is divided into four parts, with the first and fourth parts drawing inspiration from Ray’s personal experiences. The second and third parts, she says, are dedicated to her travels and poetic responses to the world’s unfolding events, with her travel experiences playing a significant role in shaping the book’s narrative. “When I travel, I see things that are inspiring. For instance, I was in Istanbul in 2016-17 when the refugee crisis had just begun. I wrote about that. In a sense, it’s a travelogue but also a memoir because it does pick up elements from my personal life,” she says.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.84 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.84 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>The theme of ‘memories’ is special for Ray, and it’s intricately woven throughout the book. “A lot of the book is about memories. And if you look at memories, for instance, if you go through your family history, you will see a certain pattern repeating because all of us have human desire and human goals,” Ray reflects, adding, “So I feel that we can learn from things that are happening around us. If you look at racism, if you look at bias against communities…you see all over the world. So there are certain cyclical patterns. Memories can also light up the darkness that’s around us.”</p> <p>One of the striking aspects of Firefly Memories is its exploration of hidden stories of immigrants and refugees. Sharing her inspiration, Ray says, “When I was in Italy for a writing residency, I thought I would do the usual touristy things. So, I went to Rome, which was full of people, but especially people from Bangladesh. Most of them were immigrants and they would be very happy to talk to me in Bengali, even though the dialect was different.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.84 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.84 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>Many of them hadn’t been able to go home, because of their uncertain visa status. They were essentially exiles. Many of them would be working multiple shifts in a day, living in shared rooms. In a sense, they were also travellers, but in reality, their travels were much different to mine or an average tourist. Being in Italy, I felt that their plight was similar to that of Dante Aligheri, who was himself displaced from his beloved city of Florence and had to leave behind everything he held dear. So I wrote about the stories of these immigrants, seeking stories that were beneath the surface and weaving a connection between them and Dante. It’s almost like a story, but not in a traditional way,” she concludes.<br />