EP 196: Interview with author Ashwini Gangal

<p>In this episode, R. N. Roveleh (a.k.a. Helevorn), one of the co-hosts of The Nuts and Bolts of Writing, interviews writer Ashwini Gangal. Two of her short stories have appeared in our literary magazine “The Unconventional Courier”, namely <em>Brown Gaze</em> and <em>Hotoli and Botoli</em>. Her writings go deep into the human mind, and just when you think you understand the protagonist in their complexity, the story takes an unexpected turn and strikes you with the width of what there is yet to know.</p> <p>After completing a rigorous master&#39;s degree in clinical psychology, Ashwini Gangal switched fields completely and worked as a media journalist at afaqs! India&#39;s most trusted b2b dot com, for 12 years, her specialty being advertising-and-marketing.</p> <p>In mid-2022, she moved on from afaqs! to pursue her passion - poetry, fiction writing, academia and scholarship. She is currently enjoying a creatively energizing sabbatical, as she nurses her neuroses, eats through her savings and tries not to go completely mad. She has books to help her with that, as she is an insatiable reader.</p> <p>Her own works of fiction have appeared in numerous publications including Danse Macabre, Piker Press, The Bangalore Review, India Currents, The Hooghly Review, and many more.</p> <p>Check out Ashwini&#39;s stories for our literary zine, &quot;The Unconventional Couirer&quot;:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://tetedepunk.wixsite.com/theunconcourier/post/brown-gaze"><strong>Brown Gaze </strong></a></li> <li><strong>Hotoli and Botoli</strong> </li> </ul> <p>You can find out more on Ashwini&#39;s website, <a href="https://www.ashwinigangal.com/">www.ashwinigangal.com</a>.</p> <p>R.N. Roveleh asked Ashwini the following questions:</p> <ol> <li>One thing I love about your stories is that they blend realism – a minute attention to details in painting society and human nature – with an unexpected surrealism, and many of them have a dark edge. You take your stories in a bold direction and give them a thrilling twist while kee