28/06/2026
Q. When and how did you first realize that poetry was the medium through which you needed to express your connection to nature?
I was always interested in poetry, in verse; and I started writing some poems during my college days. It was not a medium I chose consciously—that I will be a poet, sort of thing. It was more like what came more naturally when I wanted to write down something.
Q. You are described as “close to nature.” What does this proximity mean to you, personally and philosophically? Is it simply observation, or does it involve a deeper, reciprocal relationship?
I don’t know what to say about being ‘close to nature.’ If it is the physical presence of land—yes, in Arunachal where I live the place is still green with mountains all around, so we are really surrounded by a relatively unspoilt natural environment (though I dream of living near the sea). About poetry—it’s the feeling that comes with the aura of the land.
But beyond this, I think anyone who has an interest in the natural world would feel close to nature, even if it might be in a more scientific way through study and research.
Q. What does your typical writing process look like? Do you write in nature, or do you internalize and then write in solitude?
My writing process happens in fits and starts. I think I am my worst interrupter—taking a tea break, looking at something in the garden or trying to cook something. But once I start on something, then sometimes it is hard to keep up with my own thoughts. I write everything longhand before using the computer. I might be chewing on an idea for a long time and then, in between, an image might appear that becomes a poem, or the line of a poem becomes a short story! It is difficult to pinpoint the process exactly, but yes, I prefer solitude for writing.
Mamang Dai in conversation with Rabina Mitra
