Snehal is a blogger and poet based in London with her husband and two toddlers. Her writing primarily reflects her motherhood journey. She also reviews books authored by writers of South Asian heritage on her blog Desi Lekh.
Snehal’s first book, Pause: A collection of poems inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic has recently been published by Writersgram publications. Her work has also appeared in various prose and poetry anthologies. Pause is a collection of poems inspired by the Covid 19 pandemic. It draws from the poet’s own experiences and perspectives during what can best be described as an event that truly changed the world. The poems are surrounded by themes of uncertainty, isolation, frustration, loss and finally hope. The reader will also identify ‘motherhood’ as a constant across most poems.
Snehal has an infectious laugh and a very loud mind. She believes that observation might just be her superpower.
You can find her on Instagram: @momtherhustler".
In an exclusive chat with Asian Voice, she shared more information about her book.
Q - What is the Covid diary writing challenge? When and how did you start it?
It is an initiative by Writersgram publications and my book of poems Pause emerged from this idea. I have always written poetry but started writing it more regularly during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. I found the process of writing to be very cathartic. It was also an effective mechanism to cope with the challenges the pandemic brought with it. I came across Writersgram in 2021 thanks to my father who has always been my powerhouse of support. It was because of him that I gained the confidence to publish my poetry through Writersgram.
Q - What are the various themes of poetry in this book?
Pause is a collection of poems inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic. It draws from my own experiences and perspectives during what can best be described as an event that truly changed the world. The poems are surrounded by themes of uncertainty, isolation, frustration, loss and finally hope. The reader will also identify ‘motherhood’ as a constant across most poems.
Q - Why would mothers relate to it?
In my poems, I have tried to capture the challenges and joys of raising young children during the pandemic. Although the poems are personal they have many relatable elements that mothers can identify with e.g. managing children, work and household without support from grandparents and /or childcare services, mom guilt, identity issues, the impact of lack of social interaction and so on.
Q - How much do you think journaling helps in coping with grief?
Grief is a very complex process and every individual copes with it differently. I believe writing down your thoughts can act as a means to cope with the many emotions that grief triggers including sadness, anger, helplessness and sometimes even apathy which is essentially the absence of emotions. Writing helps to give some sort of structure to these emotions which can often be overwhelming.
Q - What would your advice be to fellow women who've been sitting on a pile of stories or poems but never gathered the courage to publish them?
I believe in the power of shared experiences because it reassures you that you are not alone. Social media today is a great platform to do this and there are many virtual writing communities that are very supportive. So please publish your work and share it with others. You never know who needs to read it!
