'Only in English, I have been labelled a gay author'

Vasudhendra

, the author of more than 10 collections of short stories and essays in Kannada, is known for his work

dealing with globalization

and

socio-economic changes

in Karnataka. In 2013, he created a stir with his short-story collection Mohanaswamy (recently translated into English), one of the few books in Kannada to detail the trauma and conflict of being gay. The 48-year-old author, who will be at the

Times Litfest

this weekend, talks about writing and courage
How did you get started on your writing career?

I've been writing for 20 years.I started writing after I joined the software industry . It was such a routine job, I felt like I had no identity of my own. So I started to write. I managed to survive the IT industry for 15 years. I hired a driver and would write during the commute from my house in Bannerghatta to my office in Whitefield. In fact, I've dedicated one book to Bengaluru traffic. The mindset of a corporate employee and of an author are different and once you realize money is not the most important thing, corporate life becomes boring.Many do not have the courage to leave a job. It's been four years since I quit my job and I feel so good.

It seems like you gained the courage to quit, then to declare you were gay only in the last few years. Does courage come with age?

Courage comes at different times to different people. For me, coming out was a matter of survival so I gained the courage to do it. I was in deep depression over the hidden life I led. I wanted a way out.Nowadays young people are more courageous than me and come out much sooner. It was tough at first ­ I had the story writing skills but this was a personal and challenging subject. No one in Karnataka writes like this.

Were you afraid?

I was a bit afraid but once I heard people talking about the book, it was therapeutic ­ now I openly declare that I am gay even when people don't ask me. Being an author you're always worried about the reaction of the literary community. But with this book, the gay community, young people in small towns, mothers with gay children, so many reached out saying my writing had helped them. It was a surprise to me. Knowing that there are others like you gives you confidence. More has to be done to reach the regional language reading community. It's only in big cities that people are exposed to gay literature.

Are you worried about being labelled a gay author now?

Not at all. I proved myself as a Kannada writer long before I wrote Mohanaswamy, which is my only book on being gay . It is about the confidence you have in your writing.

EM Forster

wrote Maurice, dealing with homosexuality, in 1926 but he's remembered for Passage to India.No one calls him a gay author. Any labelling is just temporary. It's only in English that I've been labelled a gay author because only Mohanaswamy has been translated. I hope my other books will be translated too.

Explore the yearly horoscope 2025 for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces zodiac signs. Spread love this holiday season with these New Year wishes, messages and quotes.