In the open lawns of a beachside hotel in the centre of Visakhapatnam, aspiring writers and poets shared the limelight onstage, to the encouragement of a packed house. At a cafe in Rushikonda, three newly-published authors shared their journey on how to bring books to life even as aspiring writers listened earnestly while jotting down notes. At a park in the city, a group of people worked on their notebooks at a silent writing session followed by another one on sharing their works with others.
These sessions by Vizag Writers, a community of writers, poets, and storytellers, is transforming the way creativity is expressed and is building a vibrant landscape for writers in the city. The group was founded by Neha Giduturi, who is working in the social development sector, in February this year and today, has over 100 aspiring writers with 30 active writers. “Writers need to be heard; I emphasise a lot on listening.
It is very underrated, we are never taught how to listen. If a writer feels acknowledged for his work and constructive feedback is given, I think that is the biggest support any writer can get,” says Neha. Neha’s journey into the literary world began when as a 10-year-old, she would devour the works of Ruskin Bond, Sudha Murthy and the Harry Potter series and eventually started exploring other genres.
“It was during college that I tried my hand at penning down my thoughts and started interacting with fellow writers from diverse backgrounds. I owe it to the comm.