Hornbill Harcel debut with her book Woebegone Wynds on May 2021. The author who is a Software Engineer by profession and resides in Punjab, India began her writing journey at the tender age of 14. Women are writing their names in history in multiple fields, running their businesses, and making dreams come true. The same can be said for HornbillHarcel who took the market by storm with her book Woebegone Wynds.Kaitlin Foster once said, “She was a wild one; always stomping on egg shelves that everyone else tip-toed on.”Her book is the true epitome of this statement which sidesteps the conventional ways of poetry writing. The bookis written in a genderless voice and depicts the stories of a diverse group of fictional people.

The book opens up with the poem Wrongs and Rights which talks about being thrust into a discriminated and corrupted world. It shows stories of people trying to survive in their woebegone wynds and looking for a form of remedy. It talks about the misuse of resources, and social and economic disparities and compares the world to Laputa which is a reference to the flying island created by Jonathan Swift in his work, “Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World“. It proceeds with creating a line between good and evil, manufacturing laws, and religion, and creating a national divide. The book contains various references from renowned works which could be seen in the lyric poem Dante’s Inferno which is inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy.

The author remarked that it is essential to tell stories that could inspire motivation, and bring awareness. The purpose of the poem in some regards is the same as that of an advertisement, a short film, or a story – consciousness of unique thoughts, perspectives, beliefs, and environment. It creates a virtual space to reinforce specific ideas and propose congruence between individuals.With the aid of storytelling and fantasy, Hornbill Harcel has painted an illusion to teach lessons on mental health, war, violence, physical& mental abuse, self-harm, etc.

On her journey as an author, Hornbill Harcel has received some commendable achievements. The author was recognized for literary work and contributions in 2022 on World Book Day 2022. She received SahityakoshSamman and Author Awardee Award 2022 and was nominated for LiFT Award 2022. She became the cover star for Allureiva magazine Vol 29, Mar 22, and her exclusive interview appeared in the Presstone Passion review magazine, Issue 02, Mar 22. She was a participant and writer for The Rising Writers 2022. Her writing was selected among the best 700 writers at Blooming Kalakar from 4,87,682 entries, and her blog for Words to Glory was deeply appreciated. Apart from her published book, the author has contributed to anthologies such as “The Mutiny that Lies Within” and “The Memory Keeper’s Diary”.

Hornbill Harcel feels that her culture and history have been an enormous part of her journey and inspiration. In her recent interview for APN News, the author talked about her writing process. She recounted that writing poetry is akin to a bird building a nest to lay eggs. It begins with a spark of inspiration or a phrase that forces itself to be spilled on a paper.

Imagination takes her to different corners concerning that initial piece of the idea but there is a lot of groundwork and research involved in writing. Multiple paths could result in different results. It is about finding the right pitch and rhythm to a song. The finished product always brings satisfaction but you experience immense felicity when your words reach the audience and resonate with them. Revisions are like a carpentry process where a lot of remodeling, re-writing, and crossing out is involved. It usually reminds her of waking up from a nightmare where even amidst panic, you are both scared and relieved. Though some poems come naturally. It feels as if her DNA has fallen effortlessly on the paper. At present, the author is working on her new book, “Where the Piopios Sing” which is set to release in the new few years.