At 27, Mary John Williams falls into the category of young writers but unlike the recent crop of authors, she looked away from the perils of 'new-generation' for her first book. She decided to distance herself from the 'yo-yo' youth and go back in time.
She hopped back quite a few decades and reached the conspicuous 13th century, where she set up her fictitious castle guarded by a warrior hero: Aryaveer - The Guardian Of Dakshin Durgh. The valiant hero is an embodiment of the masculine man with little time or interest for other worldly emotions. He wages war, wins back contentious forts and remains loyal to his king to the last command. But all that changes when he is hit by the cupid's arrow (well, medieval India wasn't probably aware of the Latin mythological creature, but the emotion sure did exist).
How romance lifts the hero right out of his warrior suit, and what happens to the safety of the kingdom is for you to read and find out.
The recently released book by this Keralite based in Mumbai is already being talked about on the internet. Her narrative techniques, especially the detailed portrayal of the war scenes that looks at both sides of the battle is being lauded.
Mary also mustered up the courage to place a woman at the helm of the battle affairs. This practice that finds mention in some history books has sadly been shunted out by the makers of modern centuries. The book, in that context, sure acts as a good refresher on medieval Indian history.
Mary John Williams has strode confidently into the world of books wielding her pen. The author opens up about herself, Aryaveer and future projects in a chat with Onmanorama.
Excerpts:
Can you tell us more about your book Aryaveer?
Aryaveer is my first book. It is published by Leadstart Publishing. It is a historic-romantic fiction based in 13 th century AD. The story is about a ruthless warrior named Aryaveer, who is dedicated to his king and kingdom. His life takes a mysterious turn when he falls in love with a girl named Meera.
Most of the young/new writers focus on contemporary issues, especially of the youth. Your story is set in the 13th century. What prompted you to write about that era?
I had this story in my mind for a very long time. Maybe my strong adoration for the character, Aryaveer, must have tempted me to write a story like this. Other than that personally, I love reading fiction and fantasy stories, which might have prompted me to pen a historic fiction.
Is the novel purely fictional or is it inspired by any historical incident. How much research has gone into it?
Aryaveer is purely a slice of my imagination. But yes, of course, I did a detailed study about the era before penning down the story. It was very much helpful in giving the story and the characters a lively and natural touch.
Another book during recent times that dealt with age-old stories of warriors would be 'The Immortals of Meluha'. So do you think is there any similarity between Amish Tripathi's book and yours?
Meluha has absolutely no connection with my Aryaveer. I have read Meluha and it is a mythological book, whereas mine is a fictional tale. Through Meluha, Amish Tripathi has tried to give scientific explanation to a mythological story. I have weaved out a story of a past era purely based on fiction.
Could you tell us more about yourself. How did you set about writing a book?
I did my graduation in Political Science (hons) from Kolkata university and B. Ed from Tilak Maharashtra university. Since my childhood days, I was interested in writing. I used to write poems and short stories. Almost three years ago, I felt a strong urge to pen down Aryaveer, and I just followed my heart.
You are originally from Kerala. Does the book have any links to your home state?
Yes, as a Malayali, I wanted to project our rich culture through my book. The background of the story is set in south India. I have also mentioned about Kalaripayattu and Sabarimala pilgrims in my book.
Your future plans - are you working on any book right now?
I am right now busy with the scripting of Aryaveer in Malayalam. And, I have also started penning down my next story. My next novel will be totally different from Aryaveer.