“I Write Because I Cannot Help It”, Saya Radha Sawana, Author Of The Month, September 2018

Radha Sawana believes that all problems reside within us, and their solutions too. Her writing is mostly about her day-to-day experience, that’s exactly what connects well with the readers. 

The Women’s Web team every month identifies three contributors whose work has really resonated with readers, who have brought something new and impactful to our community. This September 2018, Radha Sawana is one of our featured Authors of the Month.

Radha feels that women expect too much from themselves and they should learn to say no to everything. You can read Radha Sawana’s articles here at Women’s Web. 

I write because I cannot help it! There are stories that I cannot not tell and I write for their sakes.

What do you enjoy reading? Does any of it help your writing?

I can read almost anything, but I am partial to fantasy, sci-fi, and mythology.

When it comes to writing on/for/about women, what questions and issues drive you the most?

I believe that most of the women problems stem from and survive because of women, not men. Women tend to expect too much from themselves and from other women, which is how we end up under-performing in our own eyes. That’s a crushing feeling. We need to draw out our priorities very clearly and learn to say no to being everything and everyone.

Could you narrate an issue or incident in your life which you think was gender-related, and you handled it in a way that has made you proud.

I had a ‘manly’ female boss in my very first work stint. She believed she had all the manly and superior qualities a woman – she was single, she hated asking for help from any man, she had physical strength, she loved traveling, she was ‘fussfree’ and ‘bindaas’, she didn’t use moisturizer, she didn’t approve of anything ‘delicate’. I suffered because she always thought of me as the embodiment of everythng female – I was ‘delicate’, I was in a committed relationship with a guy I adored, and so on. She favoured the male teammates and often bitched about me in my absence. I had lost all respect for her as a result, and for the most part, I ignored her.

Fast forward 2 years, she was going through a bad time at work because of performance issues. During the bad stretch, she decided to marry her longtime friend and roommate (a guy). It took a lot of my maturity, but I congratulated her and told her that marriage didn’t necessarily mean a loss of independence. She gave a terse smile, but after that, she stopped judging me for being a girly girl.

What are the things you would like to write about in the future for Women’s Web?

I would like to share my travelogues, some fiction written by me and any other issues that I feel like writing about.

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