Writer and columnist Samrudhdi Kerkar has released her fifth book, ‘Shabdhgandh’, based on her experiences of reading English-language books
RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT BUZZ
At nine, Samrudhdi Kerkar released her first collection of poems, ‘Nirjhar’, in print. The book was based on poems she had regularly written in a diary that Marathi writer Madhavi Desai later came across. Desai read the poems and suggested to her parents that they publish the collection. Though initially hesitant because of her age, her parents eventually agreed.
Since then, she has continued to write and recently published ‘Shabdhgandh’, her fifth book. The Marathi collection grew out of a weekly newspaper column on English-language books, in which she wrote about her experiences of reading across genres, including novels, poetry, biographies and autobiographies.
The title ‘Shabdhgandh’, (‘the fragrance of words’), refers to the impressions the books left on Kerkar.
Samrudhdi says, “Reading is very close to my heart. I often come across something in a book that I feel is worth sharing with others. It could be a quote or a poem that makes me pause and think and I want to put into words what I found meaningful about it.”
The book contains 33 Marathi articles. These articles were initially submitted to a Goa Marathi Akademi scheme that provides grants for the publication of Marathi writing. The collection was selected for the grant and subsequently published as ‘Shabdhgandh’.
Her earlier books include ‘Aprup Vasundhareche’, a collection of her newspaper writings on nature and life; ‘Chitranchi Goshta’, a book of children’s stories originally published in a newspaper and illustrated by her; and ‘Nisarg Samvedana’, based on her experiences with nature.
Samrudhdi recalls one response to her work. An elderly woman called her late at night after reading her column on a book dealing with suicide. She spoke about the difficult period she was going through and the troubling thoughts she was experiencing. “She told me that the work had resonated with her,” says Samrudhdi. “This made me realise how people can connect just by reading something.”
Alongside her writing, Samrudhdi works on nature-related projects, hosts a television show and illustrates publications. She is also interested in art, poetry and music.
She plans to publish an English book, initially based on a selection of her published articles. She also hopes to explore fiction in the future.
Learning her own way
Samrudhdi’s childhood was different from that of most children. She was homeschooled from childhood, a decision her father, environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar, made before she was born. Both her parents, Rajendra and Pournima Kerkar, were teachers. Rajendra had seen students who wanted to draw, paint or look out of the classroom window being treated as distracted. He felt such interests should not be discouraged. After reading the writings of thinkers and writers with different views on education, including Rabindranath Tagore and Albert Einstein, he decided his children would not necessarily have to attend school. The choice was left to her but she never felt the need to attend. She prefers to describe her education as learning in a “school without walls”. “I consider the whole world my classroom.” Nature, travel, and different experiences became part of that education.
Books were a constant part of Samrudhdi’s childhood. Her father would gift her books and take her to book fairs where she could choose what she wanted. Before she could read on her own, her mother would read stories to her. Later, the two would take turns reading stories to each other. “My parents were readers, writers and teachers, so they would always read or write something,” she says. “There were also many students around me. I grew up observing all this and became curious about it.”
