#Mumbaibookstagram is starting with an Interview Series with Bloggers and Authors. We got an opportunity to Interview TEJASVI KHATRY.
A Content Writer, Photographer, and a Bookstagrammer.
Follow him on Instagram Twitter Blog
1. Hi Tejas, pls tell us a bit about yourself.
Bello! I am Tejasvi Khatry. My name comes from a poem. I recently became part of Wizplex as a Social Media Executive. So, I am a cool Toyseller now. I have recently attained a Master's Degree in Communication and Journalism and have worked as a Content Writer, Photographer, Event Co-ordinator, Research Investigator and whatnot. But throughout all of those things, the one thing that I always was and still am is a proud book hoarder. I collect books of all shapes and sizes, old and new, black or blue, bought them in lots or at a time just a few. I have more than 2000 books and 1/3rd of them is colour coded. Yet, there are all these amazing stories or those fabulous covers that I want to own and be safe in them.
2. How did you get into book blogging?
By sheer accident. It was like I was swimming in an ocean and suddenly I found this enticing island. When I started exploring this island, I felt that I would never want to leave it and so I didn't. Also, my father is a journalist and my elder brother a lecturer. Growing up, I was always surrounded by books and newspapers and magazines and articles and textbooks. For a lot many years all these things used to annoy the hell out of me. But now I cannot live without them. I began expressing my opinion on all things related to books in book club meets around the city. And voilà!
3. When did you discover the lovely community of Bookstagram?
It was almost three years back when I, in my final year of Graduation, got obsessed with books and book events. I became part of this Whatsapp group called Bookstagram India. These were a few cool bookstagrammers who had united just to hold a Secret Santa Christmas Book Swap but ended up building a community instead. At the same time I accidentally became part of this Fb group called Book Deals for Broke Bibliophiles. I attended both groups' meet in Bombay and discovered this whole new world of people that bonded over books.
4. What's the formula for success on Bookstagram according to you?
There are no formulas in Bookstagram. That's the thing about Bookstagram. This is a community which accepts you as you are. It is a beautiful, all-accepting, constantly evolving, dynamic and vibrant community. What is not tolerated here is cheating or abusing. A lot of people knowingly or unknowingly are constantly putting efforts to make this a positive platform of expression. A place where people can have space for their individuality and at the same time be a part of this larger community of book lovers. We disapprove of people who without any cause or provocation shame others. So, don't copy, don't shame others, don't be a creep and keep expressing how you feel about books. Everything else will fall into place.
5. While taking snaps for your Bookstagram account what do you keep in mind?
I forget that I am clicking for my Bookstagram. I click pictures for myself. I can be really good when I am selfish. I have spent a considerable amount of time clicking at lit fests and events. I can also be a very harsh critique for myself. That's one of the reasons why there are fewer posts on my feed. I never like a picture too much and I want my next picture to be better. That is not healthy for bookstagramming. I have lost so many followers because of this habit. But the ones that are interested beyond a followback and regular posts always stay around to help and support.
6. Your best reads of 2018
This year is proving to be an amazing reading year for me. I finished reading Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer and am currently on Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events and Neil Gaiman's Sandman Series. Some of the best individual works I have read so far are K.R. Meera's The Gospel of Yudas and Poison of Love, Gulzar's Zero Line translated by Rakshanda Jalil and Selected Poems with translations by Pavan K Varma, Perumal Murugan's One Part Woman, Anuradha Roy's Sleeping on Jupiter and Ninety-Seven Poems by Terribly Tiny Tales
7. Books you would recommend fellow book lovers
All the books that I have mentioned above. Also, books by Ruskin Bond, Khaled Hosseini, Haruki Murakami, Mahasweta Devi, Manto, Nirmal Verma, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Devdutt Pattanaik, Gulzar, Milan Kundera, Neil Gaiman, Arundhati Roy... The names are going to be endless
8. Your favorite Bookstagram accounts
There are probably a hundred or so favourite Bookstagram accounts that I absolutely love and drool over. I loved the previous grid of @khubaibliophile. I love @esoteric_tan and @thereadingtwins for their selections of books. I love how creative and grand @james_trevino is! I love the opinions of @the.ubiquitous.assimilator and @maressabookish for her Hindi readings of Harry Potter. I love @vivekisms for the number of books that he reads and @cj_mitra for being the inspiration for participating in giveaways and again these names are going to be endless...
9. Your favorite book bloggers/booktubers
I love nagging @_penandpapers every now and then. Someday, she is going to kill me and I am going to steal her collection. Literally, her Literary collection will be mine. :D Get the pun? Geddit? Geddit? :P Apart from that I like watching Meera Nair's and Books on Toast's videos. I don't watch much YouTube videos on books unless I am planning to buy an expensive edition of a book.
10. Your craziest fantasy
To dine with Manto, Gulzar, Rumi, Saki, Faiz and Ghalib on a single table. Also, get books signed from J.K. Rowling, Haruki Murakami, Neil Gaiman, Khaled Hosseini, Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Anita Nair, Anita Desai, Kiran Desai, Perumal Murugan and K.R. Meera.
11. A message for aspiring book bloggers?
Don't hesitate to express who you are. Don't cheat. Don't copy reviews and make it your own. Don't have hidden agendas in hosting giveaways. There's a difference between book review and book promotion. Make yourself aware of the difference. Don't compromise the quality of your opinion just to receive a free book. Do not forget to stalk your favorite authors and speak to them at your nearest Literature Festival.
12. How you manage Bookstagram and work both?
It is really tough. I haven't posted a picture for more than a month now. When I am not working I spend a great deal of time commuting in trains. I have began using that time to write a few lines in Hindi with hashtag #Musings so that people not only know that I am alive but also get a direct access to the delusions inside my head.
13. Whom would you like us to interview next?
All my favourite book junkies. Especially the ones who were mentioned above!
A Content Writer, Photographer, and a Bookstagrammer.
Follow him on Instagram Twitter Blog
1. Hi Tejas, pls tell us a bit about yourself.
Bello! I am Tejasvi Khatry. My name comes from a poem. I recently became part of Wizplex as a Social Media Executive. So, I am a cool Toyseller now. I have recently attained a Master's Degree in Communication and Journalism and have worked as a Content Writer, Photographer, Event Co-ordinator, Research Investigator and whatnot. But throughout all of those things, the one thing that I always was and still am is a proud book hoarder. I collect books of all shapes and sizes, old and new, black or blue, bought them in lots or at a time just a few. I have more than 2000 books and 1/3rd of them is colour coded. Yet, there are all these amazing stories or those fabulous covers that I want to own and be safe in them.
2. How did you get into book blogging?
By sheer accident. It was like I was swimming in an ocean and suddenly I found this enticing island. When I started exploring this island, I felt that I would never want to leave it and so I didn't. Also, my father is a journalist and my elder brother a lecturer. Growing up, I was always surrounded by books and newspapers and magazines and articles and textbooks. For a lot many years all these things used to annoy the hell out of me. But now I cannot live without them. I began expressing my opinion on all things related to books in book club meets around the city. And voilà!
3. When did you discover the lovely community of Bookstagram?
It was almost three years back when I, in my final year of Graduation, got obsessed with books and book events. I became part of this Whatsapp group called Bookstagram India. These were a few cool bookstagrammers who had united just to hold a Secret Santa Christmas Book Swap but ended up building a community instead. At the same time I accidentally became part of this Fb group called Book Deals for Broke Bibliophiles. I attended both groups' meet in Bombay and discovered this whole new world of people that bonded over books.
4. What's the formula for success on Bookstagram according to you?
There are no formulas in Bookstagram. That's the thing about Bookstagram. This is a community which accepts you as you are. It is a beautiful, all-accepting, constantly evolving, dynamic and vibrant community. What is not tolerated here is cheating or abusing. A lot of people knowingly or unknowingly are constantly putting efforts to make this a positive platform of expression. A place where people can have space for their individuality and at the same time be a part of this larger community of book lovers. We disapprove of people who without any cause or provocation shame others. So, don't copy, don't shame others, don't be a creep and keep expressing how you feel about books. Everything else will fall into place.
5. While taking snaps for your Bookstagram account what do you keep in mind?
I forget that I am clicking for my Bookstagram. I click pictures for myself. I can be really good when I am selfish. I have spent a considerable amount of time clicking at lit fests and events. I can also be a very harsh critique for myself. That's one of the reasons why there are fewer posts on my feed. I never like a picture too much and I want my next picture to be better. That is not healthy for bookstagramming. I have lost so many followers because of this habit. But the ones that are interested beyond a followback and regular posts always stay around to help and support.
6. Your best reads of 2018
This year is proving to be an amazing reading year for me. I finished reading Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer and am currently on Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events and Neil Gaiman's Sandman Series. Some of the best individual works I have read so far are K.R. Meera's The Gospel of Yudas and Poison of Love, Gulzar's Zero Line translated by Rakshanda Jalil and Selected Poems with translations by Pavan K Varma, Perumal Murugan's One Part Woman, Anuradha Roy's Sleeping on Jupiter and Ninety-Seven Poems by Terribly Tiny Tales
7. Books you would recommend fellow book lovers
All the books that I have mentioned above. Also, books by Ruskin Bond, Khaled Hosseini, Haruki Murakami, Mahasweta Devi, Manto, Nirmal Verma, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Devdutt Pattanaik, Gulzar, Milan Kundera, Neil Gaiman, Arundhati Roy... The names are going to be endless
8. Your favorite Bookstagram accounts
There are probably a hundred or so favourite Bookstagram accounts that I absolutely love and drool over. I loved the previous grid of @khubaibliophile. I love @esoteric_tan and @thereadingtwins for their selections of books. I love how creative and grand @james_trevino is! I love the opinions of @the.ubiquitous.assimilator and @maressabookish for her Hindi readings of Harry Potter. I love @vivekisms for the number of books that he reads and @cj_mitra for being the inspiration for participating in giveaways and again these names are going to be endless...
9. Your favorite book bloggers/booktubers
I love nagging @_penandpapers every now and then. Someday, she is going to kill me and I am going to steal her collection. Literally, her Literary collection will be mine. :D Get the pun? Geddit? Geddit? :P Apart from that I like watching Meera Nair's and Books on Toast's videos. I don't watch much YouTube videos on books unless I am planning to buy an expensive edition of a book.
10. Your craziest fantasy
To dine with Manto, Gulzar, Rumi, Saki, Faiz and Ghalib on a single table. Also, get books signed from J.K. Rowling, Haruki Murakami, Neil Gaiman, Khaled Hosseini, Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Anita Nair, Anita Desai, Kiran Desai, Perumal Murugan and K.R. Meera.
11. A message for aspiring book bloggers?
Don't hesitate to express who you are. Don't cheat. Don't copy reviews and make it your own. Don't have hidden agendas in hosting giveaways. There's a difference between book review and book promotion. Make yourself aware of the difference. Don't compromise the quality of your opinion just to receive a free book. Do not forget to stalk your favorite authors and speak to them at your nearest Literature Festival.
12. How you manage Bookstagram and work both?
It is really tough. I haven't posted a picture for more than a month now. When I am not working I spend a great deal of time commuting in trains. I have began using that time to write a few lines in Hindi with hashtag #Musings so that people not only know that I am alive but also get a direct access to the delusions inside my head.
13. Whom would you like us to interview next?
All my favourite book junkies. Especially the ones who were mentioned above!
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