Writing becomes my only passion

Anwara Syed Haq is a prominent writer in the realm of Bangla literature. She began writing short stories in her teens. This year she won the Bangla Academy Shahitya Puroshkar for her outstanding contributions in the literary world. She was born in 1940 in Jessore, where she spent her adolescent years. She obtained her MBBS degree in 1965 and in 1973 went to the United Kingdom for higher education. She returned home in 1982. She has since then worked at a number of institutions, among which are Bangladesh Biman, Dhaka Medical College and BIRDEM. Even though she works professionally as a psychiatrist, her presence in the literary arena has always been very pronounced. So far she has written more than fifty books. She has been awarded the Annanya Shahitya Puroshkar, Agrani Bank Puroshkar, Michael Madhushudhon Puroshkar and Shishu Academy Puroshkar, besides a host of others.

Recently the writers' group Gantha, initiated by Prof Niaz Zaman, accorded a reception to the eminent writer. On the occasion, Jackie Kabir talked to her about her writing career.

Jackie Kabir: We know you have two very prominent identities - one a writer, the other a psychiatrist. Is there any conflict between the two?
Anwara Syed Haq: There is of course a delineation. They are totally two different terrains. But I deal with it very consciously. When I do my work as a person of science I am totally devoted to science; while I write I totally devote myself to my writing. A person has many different roles in life. We all perform these different roles by transforming ourselves at every necessary interval. We are in fact compartmentalized and we act according to those compartments and portray ourselves as such while dealing with different situations. I play the role of a writer, a mother, a wife and a physician. There are different domains for all of the roles. The patients I deal with are mentally unwell and the people living around me are mentally sound. But I always find a connection, a channel between the two. A mentally sound person may become unwell in no time and vice versa. So there is no conflict as far as I am concerned.

Full interview here Daily Star