Delightful Deirdre
by Nilma Dole
It isn't everyday one finds a
very knowledgeable and versatile writer who comes across as a long-lost
friend who you can get on with instantly. Pretty in her well-matched
accessories and gracious in her character, Deirdre is a writer who loves
talking about a multitude of topics. Meeting her for the first time at a
Fullbright workshop a couple of months ago was a heart-warming
experience and reading her stories was all the more interesting.
 The delightful Deirdre's nuances and phrases culminate in a world of
magic making her stories mesmerising. Her youthful appearance and wisdom
is such that you can't believe that she is a grandmother! Deirdre's
childhood was spent on a lush tea estate in the Kelani Valley and
thereafter at boarding school in Colombo when she attended the CMS
Ladies' College, Colombo. She lived in Dubai for 14 years where she
worked in a leading bank afterwhich she spent about two years in Powai's
lake-mountain district of Mumbai, India.
Two of Deirdre's books 'Kaleidoscope' and the recently launched
'Jigsaw' are her offerings of short stories. Her first attempt at a
novel, 'Thursday's Child' is a must-read. The 12 short story collection
in 'Kaleidoscope' was shortlisted for the 2002 David T. K. Wong
Fellowship. It deals with various bird-eye' views of stories including
how life can turn when the unexpected happens or when people choose to
live their lives to their desire. The 15-story collection in 'Jigsaw' is
bold with local gossip when we meet Bempy Singho and his nona-mahathayas
in 'Wedding Guest', a whirlwind romance between Nilukshi and Nikhil in
'Friendship, Flowers and a Funeral' and "It Happened in the Swinging
60s' talking about 'fast girls'.
Q: Describe a little about yourself and how you got into writing.
A: I am a voracious reader, an animal lover and optimist. When I
can't get the time to write, I have to be content with ideas floating
around in my head. From an early age I wrote - beginning with letters
home from the school hostel, a poem for the school magazine, rhyming
couplets in autograph albums, letters to pen friends. As a teenager, I
wrote limericks, and one-act comedies - for fun - and then tore them up.
Towards the end of my secretarial career, I wrote a poem titled "A
Secretary's Prayer". I knew then that someday I would embark on serious
writing.
Q: What inspired you to write your first book and how did you get
about it?
A: Living in India made such an impact on me; I just had to write and
impart my experiences. Mistakenly believing India and Sri Lanka shared
many similarities, actually living in India proved how very wrong I was.
I observed, absorbed, bought a computer on a stopover before re-locating
to Sri Lanka, in readiness.
Q: In 'Kaleidoloscope' most of the endings in the stories were rather
sad. One ending in rape, the other with a burns victim, the other in a
bigamist getting arrested. Why did you adopt this method to end the
story abruptly? Or do you think the reader would be easily bored with
too much detail?
A: Reality teaches how cruel life can be. So when the realities of
life struck me forcefully, I wrote of serious issues - with abrupt
endings for greater impact.
Q: How has your community supported you in writing, and has your
background as a 'Dutch Burgher' inspired you to write?
A: Once my community became aware of me as a serious writer - which
was only recently, after reading reviews of my book, prior to my book
launch - they were most supportive. Details of 'Jigsaw' were promptly
included in the DBU Bulletin online edition, reaching out nationally and
internationally to their membership network. My Dutch Burgher background
could definitely inspire me to write, but I've not yet exploited that
aspect.
Q: What advice would you give budding writers?
A: Read as much as you can, whenever you can. Write whenever you have
the inclination. Even if it's a mere paragraph that catches your fancy,
capture it; don't let it escape.
Q: After having a long stint in Dubai and a short stint in India, how
has returning to Sri Lanka given you the capacity to write?
A: After 16 years overseas, I gained a wealth of experience; and am
more-or-less mistress of my own time, in my own home; with no rigid
office schedule to adhere to. Moreover, I joined a writing group and
attended writing workshops and seminars. |
