An Interview with poet Raywa Ravipati

Raywa Ravipati, author of the anthology of poems, Mirages of the Past, speaks with Mallik Thatipalli about her debut book and her inspiration for her work which deal with the themes of Life, Self-Reflection and Love and Friendship.

How did Mirages of the Past come about?

I have written these poems over five years but was able to take the step to submit them for publishing a poetry book during the lockdown time. 

What prompted you to write about poetry? Were you always interested in it?

Yes, I have been writing poetry since I was a child. Fortunately, it evolved from childhood poems of dragons and crayons to life experiences and emotions with age. Poetry is my way of expression and will always be. It is the form of writing for me when something, bad or good, is too hard for me to say 

What is the inspiration for your poems? 

My inspiration comes from everything around. From things to people. Nothing in specific. My environment by itself.

What are the challenges faced by you in writing the book and how did you overcome them?

The editing part was quite challenging as we need to keep the essence and pattern of the poem even while making changes. Another main challenge was accepting that people would be reading it because I’m an extremely private person.

What are you currently working on?

Currently, I’m writing poetry as my life moves forward about new experiences. But it’ll be quite some time before the second book is considered.