Vempalle Shareef, a Telugu writer, is prolific in writing stories about the life of Telugu-speaking Muslims, their customs and traditions, their hardships, the politics involved, and so on. He is known as ‘Andhra Premchand’ and has four short story books, three compilations, and one book on research to his credit. His debut short story collection, ‘Jumma’, was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in 2012. Jumma has been translated into English and Kannada. The Kannada translation of the Jumma was awarded ‘Kuvempu Basha Bharathi’ and ‘Kannada Sahithya Parishath’ and was shortlisted for the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2022, a decade later.
His short story ‘One Hand’ (Onti Cheyya) was published by Sahitya Akademi in 2015 in the ‘India under Forty’ compilation. Aleph Book Company published his short stories in ‘A Case of Indian Marvels, The Greatest Telugu Stories Ever Told’. Currently, his story ‘Akupacha Muggu’ (Green Rangoli) has been selected for the curriculum of degree students in Andhra Pradesh, and ‘Talugu’ is a popular play in Telugu. He has received several laurels from the Government of Andhra Pradesh, namely, Gidugu Ramamurty Pantulu Bhasha Award, Chasko Sphoorthi Award, Kolaluri Bhagirathi Story Award, Vimala Santhi Story Award, and Visalakshi Story Award. His stories have been translated into Hindi, English, Konkani, Maithili, and Malayalam. His two stories, ‘Topi Bazar’ & ‘Charla Pilli’ (Striped Cat) have been serialized on Kadapa and Vijayawada All India Radio.
For the past 20 years, Vempalle Shareef has been working in the field of journalism. He has worked in several prestigious Telugu media houses at different levels. He has worked as the Editor for the Andhra Pradesh State Government School Education Department’s children’s bimonthly magazine ‘Kasthuri’ for four years. On the other hand, he also continued his education and completed his PhD in Journalism. Recently, he released a book, ‘Language and Culture in TV Advertisements’, which is based on his research focusing on the effect of globalization and the expansion of the market on regional customs and traditions. Currently, this book is used as a University Reference book for MBA students.
In an Exclusive Interview with Nitish Raj; Editor-in-Chief, The Literary Mirror the celebrated author talks about his writing journey along with the various aspects of short stories.
Q.1 It has been more than a decade since you were awarded the highly prestigious Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2012. How has this recognition steered your writing journey since then?
VS: Awards certainly motivate writers, and I’m no different. I had already published stories in several magazines, which I later compiled into a book called Jumma. Only after it won an award did people start praising the stories as exceptional. Without that award, those stories might not have been deemed remarkable. Sadly, in our country, a writer’s worth is often judged by the awards they receive, which has always been a source of pain for me.
Q.2 You are popularly known as “Andhra Premchand” in the Telugu literary circle. How has this comparison to “Munshi Premchand”, one of the finest literary figures of the country, increased expectations and added responsibility to you as an author?
VS: I don’t consider myself “Andhra Premchand”—that’s too grand a title. My literary output doesn’t match such a stature. Yet, many who’ve read my stories often note a resemblance to Premchand’s style. From Jumma to Charala Pilli, readers have connected my work to his. I personally admire Premchand’s Eidgah, and I wouldn’t dispute anyone who sees its influence in my stories about Muslim themes.
Q.3 You have been one of those rare authors whose same book, ‘Jumma’, has been shortlisted for the Sahitya Akademi in two different languages: Telugu and Kannada. How do you feel about Jumma being recognized on such a large scale, crossing the language barriers?
VS: I’ve said before that Jumma captures the lives of poor Muslims, especially in Rayalaseema’s villages in Andhra Pradesh. I was thrilled when some readers said my stories were better than the Booker Prize-winning Heart Lamp. I dream of publishing my stories in English with a good publisher, but I don’t know how to reach them.
Q.4 Your stories have been translated into Hindi, English, Maithili, Konkani, and Malayalam. Are we also going to witness the translation of your stories into foreign languages in the near future?
VS: My story “Topi Jabbar” is set to be translated into Arabic, and permissions have been secured. But I’m unsure about the exact publication date.
Q.5 Apart from your stories being a part of the curriculum in degree colleges, your non-fiction book, “Language and Culture in Tv Advertisements’ is also used as a University Reference Book for MBA students. Being primarily a short story writer, what challenges did you face while writing a non-fiction book?
VS: Fiction writing allows freedom, but non-fiction doesn’t, which made things difficult for me. I mistakenly wrote my thesis like a novel at first. After realizing this, I scrapped the 100-page draft and started over. Research was tough, but worth it. In the end, my research book brought me more fulfilment than my stories.
Q.6 Your stories ‘Topi Jabbaar’ & ‘Charla Pilli’ (Stripped Cat) have been serialized on Vijayawada All India Radio. Even though it’s a great honour, don’t you think a short story loses its essence if it is imparted with a voice?
VS: No, a story can sparkle if it’s read by someone who captures its emotions well. Writing is an art, and so is reading stories aloud. It works best when skilled narrators handle it, avoiding any problems.
Q.7 You have also been the Editor of ‘Kasthuri’, a Children’s bi-monthly magazine by the Andhra Pradesh State Government School Education Department. How do you see the increasing importance of Children’s Magazine in reviving the dying habit of reading in kids?
VS: Is the demand for children’s magazines really growing? I’m sceptical. Kids today seem too busy with textbooks to read magazines. Plus, technology is pulling them away from reading. In Telugu, the market for children’s magazines is almost non-existent.
Q.8 What would be your advice to the young crop of aspiring short story writers?
VS: Young writers are creating great stories that reflect modern life. Their work helps us understand current society. I learn from them and don’t have any unique advice to offer.
