Indie Author Spotlight, Episode 34

Hello! Jennifer Martin here! I'm a budding short story writer and a new volunteer at The Writer's Workout as well as a recent graduate. I have learned that breaking into the literary world can be daunting feat and so I am taking every opportunity to meet new and interesting people in the literary community, like today's guest M.K. Thekkumkattil.

As a poet, memoirist, and essayist, M.K. writes about their lived experiences. Most recently writing about seeking Palestinian liberation and learning about their identity through the lens of being a care worker. Make sure to check out their website and socials, which are linked below, so you don't miss out on any of their future work. I was very pleased with the opportunity to meet M.K. I know you will be too.

Hi M.K.! Thanks so much for meeting with me today. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was a big journaler as a kid—I grew up in a very busy, loud, chaotic home, and journaling was one of the only ways I could get time to myself, and have privacy for my thoughts. In my twenties, I went on long bike tours and kept a blog to keep my family and friends updated on what was going on. This was really how I started writing publicly, through these travelogues. Then I went to Faith Adiele’s Travel Writing Workshop at VONA, which gave me the community I needed to consider myself a writer.

Tell us about your writing style.

I primarily write nonfiction in the way of essays and memoir. I also dabble in poetry.

Tell us about a project you’re proud of and link it. 

I’m proud of Weaving Liberation: An Archival Chapbook, which came out with Abode Press, and my essay collection that comes out this summer, The Sexuality of Care: On Nursing, Kink, and a Future Without Hospitals, which comes out from Feminist Press.

Spill the tea, what are you currently working on?

Most of my writing life right now revolves around The Sexuality of Care—people who pre-ordered are getting their copies in the mail, which has been thrilling to see! When I’m able to sit down and write generatively, though, I’ve been writing about sadism and my recent experiences consensually hurting people.

What is your biggest/best piece of advice for other Indie Authors?

I think early on there was such a drive to get published, to get my own book in the world, to get bylines, but I really had to unlearn traditional markers of success when it comes to publishing. For me, so much of writing well is about living well, about making the choices every day to live a life that both centers writing, and supports it. And that means that so much of my writing life is about care, about cultivating relationships with other people, being curious, reading, writing dates, talking through ideas with besties. De-centering success and centering relationships in writing has made a huge difference.

Who is your favorite Indie Author? 

Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore comes to mind immediately!

Where can someone find your work, social presence, etc. drop some links. 

@thekkumkattilmk on IG, and thekkumkattilmk.com

If you want to know more about M.K. Thekkumkattil, check out their 2nd interview over on The Writer's Workout Substack - https://writersworkout.substack.com/p/mk-thekkumkattil-second-interview

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