I’m excited. I want to announce to the world that my novel “Wings of Freedom” will be published soon, coinciding with the year-long centenary (1911 -2011) celebrations of Delhi as the capital. December 12, 1911 was the day when King George V announced, during his coronation celebrations, the shifting of capital from Calcutta (now Kolkata) to Delhi.
First, an introduction to my profile picture above. That is Lahore Gate of the Red Fort, built by Emperor Shah Jahan three hundred and fifty years ago, from where the State Entry procession of King George V and Queen Mary started on December 7, 1911, on their arrival from Bombay (Now Mumbai) for the coronation celebrations.
Now, something to share with the readers about seeding of the story. There had been a churning of ideas from my younger days when I had my roots in old parts of Delhi, that is Indraprastha--the Delhi of Pandavas; Shajahanabad, the Delhi built by Emperor Shahjahan, and the Delhi of legendary poets Ghalib and Mir Taqi Mir.
An author with a history mind-set often gets influenced by visits to the historical places and monuments and that may start the thought process of writing a story, adding his or her imagination to the events that have taken place around those places. But, the ideas may remain dormant in one’s mind, till a certain material around inspires him.
In my case the serendipitous moment came on a day when I happened to visit the Coronation Park in Delhi, commemorating the coronation of King George V. Looking around the tapering tower and statue of the king, it struck me that I have to tell a story. Seeds of the plot flowered and the saga of the romance of Eileen, a teenage British girl with Raju, an Indian, in the backdrop of British imperialism and Indian freedom movement emerged.
That is what gave birth to “Wings of Freedom”... of course, after an extensive digging into the documents of British India in the government archives--many a time worm-eaten or torn, followed by numerous hiccups, recurring writer’s blocks and procrastination blues.
……………
