Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 19: A journey of self-discovery is what Ayushman Jamwal, 27, a journalist based in New Delhi, calls his first book, ‘Chameleon Lights’. It is a collection of 20 poems written over several years capturing myriad emotions from his school days, university encounters, to life as a journalist in the national capital.
“All these poems were tucked away in word files and notes”, Ayushman said, adding “I would keep quoting and sharing bits and pieces with my friends, who then encouraged me to put them together into a compilation. To me it can best be explained as a ‘kaleidoscopic coming of age’. Thus, ‘Chameleon Lights’ was born.”
Some of Ayushman’s poems are full of dark hues, some enlightening and others soulful verses of love, namely one poem about his golden retriever Leo. They lay out the experience and struggles of friendship, first loves, failure, remorse, conviction and moral struggle in a bittersweet mix. A spectrum of emotions spreads out as one turns the pages of this book with sentiments that everyone can relate to.
“I write only when I have been hit by an emotional sledgehammer”, he said, adding “growing up and in day to day life one experiences an uncommon recipe of joy, grief, love and other sentiments which bring one closer to who they are and what they are capable of”. He said that ‘Chameleon Lights’ is one such journey.
Not only are Ayushman’s roots in Jammu, poetry runs in his blood. He is the grandson of celebrated Dogri poet Randhir Singh, also known in literary circles as Kunwar Viyogi. Randhir Singh is the author of the renowned Dogri poem ‘Ghar’ for which he received the coveted Sahitya Akademi Award in 1980. He passed away in September 2015 and his family launched the Kunwar Viyogi Memorial Trust to create a platform for the promotion and preservation of Dogri literature, to empower young artists to showcase and hone their craft. Ayushman has dedicated his book to his grandfather who he affectionately called ‘Tiger Nanu’.
“Chameleon Lights” has been published by Authorspress and is available on Amazon. The book will also be launched at the Press Club in Delhi in December after which it will be available in stores.
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