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Verses for the soul

Mary Nirmala's maiden collection of poems, `The Soul Catches Fire' was recently published

PHOTO: S. GOPAKUMAR

MAIDEN COLLECTION `The Soul Catches Fire' marks Mary Nirmala's debut as a poet

Although Mary Nirmala is a graduate in chemistry, she is in her element in the world of words. Her love for literature led her to a post graduation in the subject. A former English lecturer of St. Xavier's College, she has had many of her literary works published. The latest is her maiden collection of poems, `The Soul Catches Fire,' published by Penbooks.

"I have always been a bit of a poet even from my childhood. Words would form in my mind but I never put them down on paper. I started to pen down the words while in school," says Mary who is fascinated by Kamala Suraiyya's poems.

Motivation

It was the poem `The Monument' that gave her the confidence to turn her thoughts into poems. "It was while I was doing my graduation at Vimala College, Thrissur, that I sent in the poem for a college competition and won the first prize for it. That boosted my morale," says Mary. The Monument,' is in memory of the soldiers who died during the Chinese aggression.

While the poems in her early years were on nature, later, social issues started pricking her conscience. That was when she started writing on human deprivation. Her book of poems she says, covers the phases of her life. It has social issues, the people she met, her experiences, and even death.

"If something touches my heart, I have to jot it down. Only then can I breathe easy," says Mary. While `HIV Babe' deals with babies who are afflicted with HIV, `Lunch Break at St. Xavier's' is on students whose economic conditions force them to skip breakfast and lunch and yet put a brave face despite hunger pangs.

Writing right through her days as a lecturer, she said it is only post-retirement that she has had the time to compile and publish `The Soul Catches Fire.'

Nirmala has also published articles in leading journals. She has translated short stories by Madhavikutty, Gita Hiranyan and Priya A.S. from Malayalam to English. An avid reader, she is now translating `Malayalathinte Kathakarikal,' which will be published by D.C. Books.

SHOBA NAIR

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