“Sometimes, we do not get a chance to thank each one who has helped us in our Journey.” Let the readers get a chance to know about all the important people who have played a part in this ‘Author Journey of Yours’.

The one who first told me to weave a story—not by telling, but by showing—was my father. He was a store of interesting stories; every evening I would pull a few out to pass time watching mongooses cross the road at dusk and termites circle around the lamppost next to my parental house. I not only enjoyed his stories but also followed the paths of those stories in reality—he narrated a lot about Africa, and later, as a young man, I followed those footpaths. I traveled across Africa for over 5 years. As a result, my very first book “Footprints in Obscurity”, narrative non-fiction came out. Thus, the most influential and very first person behind the author Pramudith D Rupasinghe is his father. 

Especially my wife supported me throughout my writing career way beyond one could do; she was also involved in the translations of two of my books into Russian. And my mother and my sister can not at all be forgettable. By the way, my mother writes too. My good old friend, Rohana Kaluarachchi, who is my Sinhala translator, could be one friend who I can name. Besides that, there are hundreds of friends around the world, especially those who worked with me in the UN who inspired and encouraged me through this journey. In summary, without unyielding help from those people, the distance I have made so far could have been shorter.

And, most importantly, I would like to thank the people who inspired the characters in my books, they are the invisible yet strongest drivers of my work and the wheels of my journey. 

I am very grateful to them.

What made you go for humanitarian works? How does your humanitarian carrier and writing support each other?

Since my college time, my studies were aligned with international relations, and humanitarian studies—I entered humanitarian first as a psychologist, then grew into leadership roles, regional, zonal and global levels.

I think the humanitarian domain is not for everyone. Your ultimate integrity should be with the population we work for, irrespective of what organization you are affiliated with. Every humanitarian worker, especially those who are in the leadership roles, needs to remind themselves of those ethics—I have seen many situations where wrong people come into the domain of humanitarianism—they do more harm to people in need than serving.

Being a humanitarian demands a higher, sometimes extraordinary level of resilience, audacity agility and adaptability; it’s a lot like a combination. And then, empathy-driven (Not sympathy driven) mindset with a high-level alacrity and context awareness to take right decisions at the right time: even to open your mouth. Because of your action and the words might have an irreversible good or bad impact on people who are already affected by conflict or disasters.

Not just the passion, but with a blend of experience in diverse contexts globally as a humanitarian, I am contributing with my writing to shed the light on the forgotten crisis and issues people face in this world. Over the years, I have learned that fiction that is written close to the human realities can be a better advocacy tool.

So I would say, humanitarian work allows me to stand next to the rupture and explore how deep it is. Through my novels, I make sure that the voices that need to be heard, are heard, and the issues that need to be addressed, are taken to the surface on the earth. 

When and how did the idea of writing a book came to you? Can you tell a bit about your book ‘Bayan’? Who is the favourite character from your book and why?

If you ask me what inspires me to write, simply ‘People and their stories’, and Bayan is no exception except that fact that the life of Ivan Nikolaevich stands out with full of wisdom and experience that are mostly beyond the average. The way he lives his old life surrendering to the rules of nature is worth being told to the world world. When I first went to Ukraine in 2015, I was able to dive deep into its rich intangible heritages—culture, values, literature, etc. And marveling landscapes and pristine nature. I simply fell in love with it. Right there, the story was born. 

The book explores in-depth “aging” through the companionship Ivan and his Bayan (inanimate companion) does have. And in the background, the irreversible transformation of life in the ex-soviet republics, and the struggle of people in adapting to the new capitalistic social system are depicted.

Bayan is written following a style that has given the full concentration on its main character—Ivan Nikolaevich who is a 73 years old retired man from a northeastern tip of today’s Ukraine; he is witty, does not care about the other’s opinions, living proximate to nature, living alone in a remote village disconnected completely from the modern world, and carries a love and hatred relationship with USSR. It does not say that the other characters in the book are not active, but they are the fabric of the story. Olga- daughter of Ivan, Nadia- his ex-partner. And the most significant character besides Ivan is ‘the stranger’ whose identity is not revealed at all so that the reader place himself and herself in the place of the stranger while searching for his identity till the end of the story.

I love the protagonist of the book, first for his wisdom and mannerism in the autumn of life. Then as my hair started turning grey, I feel more and more proximate to his characteristics. 

What kind of marketing techniques should an author employ to promote his/her book?

Besides the marketing by the publisher, which is an integral part of traditional publishing, the author has to roll up his sleeves and take the book to his readership. I made sure my physical and virtual presence in the events as much as possible—that is paramount. 

Today’s world demands out-of-box thinking, as well as internet literary for almost everything. The publishing industry is one of the most digitalized industries on the earth; we have encountered a landslide change since the early 2000s. Paperback to e-book and now the audiobooks. I see no bad in those dynamics. But, as we all know that each reader is different, so are their requirements. Thus making sure your work is available in all forms is essential.

It’s not only for mere marketing purposes but also to ensure the inclusiveness of your writing. As humanitarians we say “Leave no one behind”, it applies to all. 

Social media have done a revolutionary change and we, as authors, can’t escape from that. Today, Facebook, tweeter, Goodreads, Tumblr, and Instagram have become inevitable for us. I use all channels to connect with my readership. 

As I said once, the presence matters, in multiple ways. I reached out to the new potential readers through traditional media, review challenges, TV and radio. And I do not stop promoting my old books when I have a new one in hand, I combine my books instead of in campaigns. 

At the same time, I am a humanitarian by profession. I made sure that each book is a part of a humanitarian advocacy campaign. Behind the Eclipse was featured in a global campaign against stigmatizing Ebola survivors and their family members; Bayan in healthy aging, a new book on Bangladesh (I still do not want to disclose the name), will be a strong advocacy tool on Human Trafficking and Rain of Fire, on Rohingya crisis, and on people on movement and refugees. 

At last, I always try to build a dialogue on the theme that my books speak about. That is a not only a good marketing strategy but also contributes to raising awareness. 

According to you which are the 5 books, everyone should read and also who are your top 3 Authors and what impact they had in your journey as a writer?

Love in times of Cholera of Gabriella Gracias Marquez 

Thousand Splendid Sons of Khaled Housseni 

Good Earth of Pearl S Buck 

Island of Thousand Mirrors Naomi Munaweera

Life of Pi of Yann Martell 

Tell us a bit about your family, likes, and dislikes as a person.

My both parents are teachers, and I have one sister who is a scientist. My wife and I are currently based in Sri Lanka, but who knows where the next move will be; we are often on the move.  

Reading and running are the things I often do when I am writing. I love watching the rain and listing to nature, especially early morning.

Could you share a few tips for Young Authors?

There are a few things. First, writing sharpens as you write, make it a ritual. Sound, never go for an editor after your second or third draft—craft your book as an ice artist until you comet the point where you will have nothing to remove, then the nose of the beautiful ice-carving you have done. Then go for bata readers, they may have different lenses than you—you know how you trafficked your cigars backstage indie your socks. 

Third, once the book is out, do not wait. It is you who can do your best in taking your story to the readers. Take the lead. 

Finally. Believe in you, and your writing, even after the 20th rejection. 

What has been your most cherished experience as an Author?

A Rohingya reader from Northern Rakhine township of Maungdaw in Myanmar—which is in the middle of nowhere—recognized me during one of my visits to Northern Rakhine State a few weeks before the Myanmar military cracked down into villages that resulted in the exodus of over seven hundred thousand innocent civilians. I promised him a signed copy, but a few weeks later, when I returned, he was already in Bangladesh—transformed into a refugee from a citizen overnight. Then, I met him 2 months later in Cox Bazar Bangladesh and gave him the copy. Now he is a well-known poet and a human rights activist living in camps in Ukiya, Cox Bazar District in Bangladesh.

Can you describe/outline your typical day? How do you keep yourself focused and productive as a writer in your day-to-day busy schedule?

When I am at home, I wake up a little early, between 4-5 am. Then I make my cafe latte and omelet—believe me I love eating the same breakfast 365 days. Don’t sigh!. After breakfast I usually write for a few hours—some days in 3 hours one full chapter builds up on the screen, some days, in front of the empty screen, I empty 5-6 cups of coffee with no idea hitting my head. Author’s life. Sigh. Some days I cook while my wife is working. 

My last meal falls around 2 pm. I love the intermittent regimes which I follow for the last one year. In the evening, I usually run 10-15k on average, and before bed, I read, read and read. 

Would you try writing any different genre other than semi-fiction in your next book? Tell us something about your upcoming book.

Actually, my books, except Footprints in Obscurity fall into the broad fiction categories that range from historical and philosophical fictions such as Bayan, then literary fictions such as Behind the Eclipse, And Rain of Fire. And I am sure I will stick to that genre in the future as well. 

I have a new work, a story set in Bangladesh. I had been writing that for the last 4 years, visiting a couple of times the places where the story is set, experiencing the culture, landscapes, and events in first hand. The book will hopefully come out before the end of this year.

At Sharing Stories, we have an ongoing campaign ‘Let’s Empower Our Kids’. Please suggest some books that you think every child should read before the age of 15 (mostly the character-defining age), teaching them life lessons. Things like empathy, sympathy, relationships, etc.

Flu in the Fairy Land by Erandathie Damunupola 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss

Winnie-the-Pooh by A A Milne, illustrated by E H Shepherd

Rapid Fire Round

1. Favourite Place, Actor & Actress, Person, Food, beverage….

Geneva for its deadly silence, and maturity. 

I do not watch movies or teledramas. It’s not my cup of tea.

Every human being except the religious leaders, and politicians

Food? I love Japanese and Korean cuisine a lot. 

Coffee when I start the day, Good aged single malt when I wrap the day.

2. Your other Talents apart from writing….

Cooking, and making coffee 😉 I love trying coffee arts. I did not succeed yet. 

3. Favorite Quote…

“Every writer I know has trouble writing.”

4. Favorite Character from a book…

Richard Parker—Life of Pi

What if Round 

1. What if you had to live with only three things all your life, what would the three things be?

Piece of cotton cloth, 

A metal hook 

And a knife

2. What if you were given the power to change one thing from this world, what would you change?

Reverse climate change. 

3. What if you had all the money in this world, what would you do first?

Burn them!