Sea of Sickness

Divya Ramachandran
4 min readMay 7, 2024

I was recently down with a bad viral fever and this one took a while to heal. I’m still on antibiotics and I don’t have my full energy back yet. But I do have just enough to write again and boy, am I feeling good about it! The worst thing that can happen to me is to be in a space where I can’t express myself or learn!

Anyhow, getting down to business about a few things that have been happening! I finally got an illustrator for my books! YAY! So now all those stories that were sitting in my laptop, are now in the hands of the illustrator (who is doing an incredible job, btw) and will soon be in the hands of the publisher to package and sell! Fortunately, I got a bookstore and library collaboration for my book launches! After scuttling around to places and finding that we have to pay to promote, the collabs I found seemed more grounded and based around the effort and creation of the writer.

I also got a cool website out for the books for professionalism, naming it — Magic Ink! Sounds cool, right?

I originally wanted to do this so that we could get rural storytelling back to urban settings. I remember these days when my Grandmom used to sit in the middle of a room, my cousins and I around her, in a circle. She would feed us and tell us stories. She would have a huge vessel filled with curd rice in front of her, a bottle of pickle beside her. She would make balls of the curd rice then dip her finger in pickle and place a spot of it at the center of each ball. Each of us would get a ball, one after the other, while the story was being told. We would listen intently as we swallowed up the curd balls.

As I embark on this journey to bring rural storytelling to urban settings, I found myself reminiscing about those cherished moments with my Grandmom. Her storytelling sessions were not just about the tales she spun but also about the warmth of family and the simple joys of sharing food and laughter together. In the bustling urban landscape, where technology often dominates our interactions, I yearn to recreate that intimate circle of connection and tradition.

Inspired by the memories of my Grandmom’s storytelling sessions, I embark on a mission to bring the essence of rural storytelling to the bustling streets of the urban landscape. I envision creating vibrant storytelling communities where people could come together to share tales, experiences, and cultures in a manner reminiscent of those cherished moments from my childhood.

Setting out with determination, I will begin organizing storytelling gatherings in public parks, community centers, and libraries. These events will be open to all, drawing in people from diverse backgrounds who are eager to participate in this age-old tradition. We will sit in circles, just like I did with my cousins around my Grandmom, creating an intimate atmosphere conducive to storytelling.

We will incorporate elements of oral tradition from different cultures, celebrating the richness and diversity of human storytelling. From folk tales and myths to personal anecdotes and historical narratives, each gathering to become a web of experiences and collective wisdom.

Over time, our storytelling community will not just be a source of entertainment but also a catalyst for social connection and cultural exchange. Through stories, we will find found common ground, fostering understanding and empathy among participants from various walks of life. It will be a testament to the enduring power of storytelling to transcend boundaries and unite people in a shared human experience.

In the heart of the bustling city, amidst the skyscrapers and traffic jams, we would have built a sanctuary of stories, a haven where the timeless art of storytelling thrives. And as we gather around, weaving tales into the fabric of our urban landscape, I would soon know that my mission to bring rural storytelling to the city had succeeded, leaving behind a legacy of community, connection, and the enduring magic of a well-told story.

NOTE: Do check out my new poetry book:

Buy Echoes of Illusions Book Online at Low Prices in India | Echoes of Illusions Reviews & Ratings — Amazon.in

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