Blog Archives
Define Identity
In Valtoha, you ask readers to join you on a journey from Singapore to Valtoha as you examine your family’s history beginning with your late grandfather. What inspired you to share your family history with readers?
When I went in search of my grandfather’s village, I did not intend to turn the adventure into an actual book. However, after the experience, I felt it was an amazing story in itself and that people would want to hear about it. I shared the experience with some close friends and they championed the idea of turning it into a book. Then the next questions were: how I was going to stylise the entire account and what parallels did my grandfather share with me? With these starting points, I began to craft the text that is now VALTOHA. On some levels, this may have been a personal project and on other levels, it was meant to give a voice to a seemingly insignificant person who actually is something of an important figure of subaltern history.
How long did it take you to research and put together your family’s history and write Valtoha?
I began writing the bulk of it while I was still travelling around India, so over the course of a month or so. That was just the first draft of the text we have now. Over the next three months, I began asking for information from the various sources and speaking to Dr. Kirpal Singh about the foreword of the text. Unearthing some information was easier than others but I think good fortune did play a huge part in the way some of the information fell into my lap.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
An enjoyable tale and nothing more because that is all it really is, I think? I know questions will inevitably be raised about identity, belonging and assimilation, as always with stories of transmigration. However, the truth is that these things really don’t matter. Most of us tend to spend a large portion of our lives trying to define identity for ourselves. The truth is that once we have a sense of the answer, we don’t really know what to do with it. Yes, I’m a third-generation Indian immigrant to Singapore but so what? My wife is Mexican, and I can’t relate to most things Indian or Singaporean. So what? The identity that I’ve constructed for myself doesn’t matter at all as much as the experiences that I have been through. Therefore, the search for identity is an absolute utter waste of time. I am a storyteller, and all this text is bringing to readers is just a story.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I am currently working on a speculative poetry collection about music and sound with American poet, Garrett Carroll that should be out sometime in 2025. Ikhṓr, my art/poetry collaboration with Irish artist Shane Reilly, will be released at the end of October this year. Also, at some point in 2025, I will be releasing Shadows with Sauroctonos Publishing. This is a grimoire about Southeast Asian supernatural entities and the dark magic used to invoke, banish and protect against them.
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Valtoha
Valtoha, by Hamant Singh, is a poignant and contemplative journey into the past, offering a narrative rich in family history and human growth. The story begins with Singh’s quest to uncover the history of his grandfather, Singara Singh Valtoha, who tragically passed away when Singh’s father was still a child. This exploration takes him from the bustling streets of Singapore to the small town of Valtoha in India, weaving a tapestry that examines identity, memory, and legacy.
Singh introduces a deeply personal touch through his grandfather’s heartfelt and direct letters. These letters serve as a bridge across time, allowing readers to engage in a generational dialogue. Through them, Singh’s emotions and thoughts are powerfully conveyed, adding depth and authenticity to the narrative. The novel is characterized by its rich sensory details and cultural references, painting vivid images of the diverse emotional and physical landscapes Singh traverses. His keen attention to detail and poetic descriptive passages vividly capture the essence of each location, from the dynamic streets of Singapore to the tranquil town of Valtoha, immersing readers in these environments.
The conclusion of Valtoha is both tragic and enlightening. The discovery of newspaper articles about his grandfather’s death brings Singh’s quest to a bittersweet end. Singh handles the irony and tragedy of his grandfather’s passing with sensitivity, highlighting its profound impact on the surviving family members and adding a layer of moving insight to the narrative.
Far from being a mere biography, this book is a celebration of resilience, family, and the enduring power of storytelling. Singh’s expressive and passionate prose offers a vivid portrayal of his grandfather’s life and legacy, resonating with anyone who has felt the pull of their roots or a desire to reconnect with their heritage. A notable stylistic feature of Singh’s writing is his introspective tone. He frequently pauses to reflect on the broader implications of his discoveries, offering philosophical musings on identity, memory, and legacy. This reflective approach deepens readers’ connection to the story, encouraging them to consider their own cultural heritage and familial bonds.
Valtoha stands as a touching tribute to family history and the exploration of personal identity, leaving a lasting impression on its readers.
Pages: 88 | ASIN : B0D2B5NJ4R
Devotion to Chaos
CHAOS: Remnants of Ruptured Reflections is a collection of poetry that offers readers a reflective exploration of the omnipresent tug-of-war between order and chaos. What was the inspiration for this collection of poetry?
Fundamentally, Chaos (and Chaosophy) was the inspiration for this collection. It began the creative process and this collection is in some ways a bit of a sequel to my first release The Sibyl. My debut collection had a slightly extended investigation of chaos amongst other topics but this collection is more succinct. I also intended to create chaos within the readership of this text so it is a lot more pure than The Sibyl. The text may begin at either end of the book and then collapses into itself in the middle section. Chaos is ignored by many people in an everyday context but truly is the primordial condition of the spheres in which we operate and function in.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The book examines themes in conflicting dichotomies that end up turning on each other within the poems. For instance, in “Virgin and Whore,” I write to turn the virgin into a whore and the whore into a goddess. Apart from some of the more obvious ones, life/death, reading/writing, and strength/weakness are explored in the poetry. Another interesting theme that was written about is the kinds of magic practitioners that are around today: the legitimate practitioners of magick vs. the ‘Wichstagram’ type practitioners who do it more for glamour and money than actual magick. Christian/Catholic themes and those of good and evil are also brought into question throughout the text.
I found the poem “Breath” especially meaningful and thought-provoking, shining a light on how fleeting life is. Do you have a favorite poem in this collection, if so, what is it that makes it stand out?
I am glad you enjoyed “Breath” as much as I enjoyed writing it. More than a poem about the awareness of being alive, it is ironically about the death of ego. My favourites from this collection are “A Wave of Words” and “The Warlock,” which is a personal hymn to the goddess Babalon.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from CHAOS: Remnants of Ruptured Reflections?
It may be my hand that wrote this book, but I often feel that there are other forces that work through me. This book is not of my creation even though I physically worked to put this together. There are energies that need to communicate messages to the world through my mortal shell and by my name. I am not certain what messages were intended for the readers but on a personal level, I hope that my poetry is enjoyed over and over again. Perhaps some of the poetry might inspire thought or even devotion to Chaos.
While reading this text, it is hoped that readers do not read the poems in a traditional manner. Instead, readers should experience the chaos and partake of the words and themes in a disorderly fashion.
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CHAOS: Remnants of Ruptured Reflections
In CHAOS: Remnants of Ruptured Reflections, Hamant Singh offers a reflective exploration of the omnipresent tug-of-war between order and chaos. This poetry collection, rich in symbolism and mysticism, encourages readers to consider how our emotions similarly navigate this continuum amidst life’s inevitable changes. Structured into three segments—Head, Chaos, and Tail—the book traverses themes from dreams to fears, employing language as a tool to guide us between enlightenment and the dark corners of societal injustices.
Singh’s fearless approach to truth-telling is commendable; he opts for clarity and directness over subtlety. His poem “Sheep” exemplifies this, probing the dynamics of care and control between shepherds and sheep while subtly discussing themes of obedience and rebellion. The poems generally employ this technique, blending perspectives to forge new insights into familiar dilemmas, thus revealing the intricate interplay of opposing forces within human nature. While the collection occasionally adopts a robust tone and confronts with blunt ideas, Singh acknowledges the provocative nature of his work, inviting readers to delve deeper than the surface. The conciseness of his expression, where each word is meticulously selected, suits readers ready to face stark realities and engage with a world where unpredictability is the norm. This book is a compelling and energetic read that does not hesitate to place life, death, and resilience on the same spectrum, offering a balanced reflection on the existential constants that shape our experiences.
CHAOS: Remnants of Ruptured Reflections serves as a mirror to the complexities of the human experience, artfully weaving the abstract with the tangible. Through his vivid imagery and thought-provoking themes, Hamant Singh crafts a poetry collection that challenges readers to embrace the multifaceted nature of life itself. This work is an invitation to those who are ready to engage deeply with their internal and external worlds, offering a unique perspective on the delicate balance between chaos and order that defines our existence.
Pages: 28 | ASIN : B0D1WS8LQ9
LITERARY TITAN 