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For A to Z challenge this year, I have chosen to feature the “Authors of Razzmatazz” as it has always been a desire to not just interview the authors on my YouTube channel but also write about them. The idea is to feature as many authors I can, however, it won’t be possible to include them all. You can watch all the 100 episodes on my channel anytime.
“Razzmatazz with Rashi” is a YouTube show that gives a platform to the authors to introduce their books and share their writing journey. A book is a dream and on this platform we celebrate that journey of hard work and dedication. The show is the winner of the Global Book Community Awards 2020. It has become a trusted platform for authors and running successfully with four seasons and more than hundred episodes so far.
In today’s post we have Manas Mukul
Manas was the first author I interviewed face-to-face and it was a super fun episode. This is the only episode that has behind the scenes, and you just cannot miss it. You will find the links to his book and social media in the description of the video.
About the Author
There are days when he is a software engineer, a business consultant, a theatre artist, a dancer, a sportsperson, a cook but he is a writer and storyteller every day. He befriended pen about 13 years ago and since then there’s been no looking back. ‘The Contemplation Of A Joker’ is where he publishes his work. Now a full time writer/poet, he published his first poetry book, ‘You, Me & The Universe’ last year. He has mentored 250+ upcoming authors and bloggers in their journey. He also co-facilitates Soul Craft Poetry Workshop for about an year and half now.
About the Books
‘You, Me & The Universe’
The world is witnessing some unprecedented times. The pandemic has 
come as a once in a lifetime phenomenon. Many are able to cope with it, some are not. Manas found his solace in writing. For three continuous months during the lockdown in India he surrendered himself to writing free verses and poetry. He believes this too is a conspiracy of the Universe like many others, for us to realise what are the things that are most important to us. You, Me and the Universe is a collection about such conspiracies around Love, Longing and Loss. A book that will amuse your heart and you might end up finding some words for your muse. The Universe has conspired and given its verdict. Now, it’s all about ‘You, Me & The Universe.’ The book is a collection of verses. These are not exactly poems or stories or tales. These are free verses on the conspiracies of the Universe. They are in no sense only romantic. That ‘You’ can be anyone – partner, parents or siblings. They are based on how the Universe conspires and puts us in situations that are beyond meaningful comprehensions of us mere mortals. You will relate to them as per the situations you are undergoing; that’s their beauty. We have always heard of the cliche that if we want something badly then the whole Universe conspires to get us that thing – well this collection is all about writing about those conspiracies.
This beautiful book has received wonderful reviews and am sharing some here-
“‘You, me & the universe’ is a beautiful anthology of poems. The poems leave an impact on the reader with their emotional depth and tenderness. A poignant thread of yearning runs through the verses, a yearning that feels deeply honest and almost palpable. Some of my favourite poems in the anthology are, ‘promise’ , ‘let’s walk’, ‘the bench’, ‘papa, you there?’ ‘The conspiracy’, ‘eternity’, ‘you, me and the universe’, ‘sorrow’,’believe in universe’, ‘one special day’, ‘the shooting star’ and ‘mom’s universe’.
Do pick up this anthology if you want to read soulful verses that speak to you and touch your heart.”
“The appeal of You,Me and The Universe,is the gentle simplicity with which the writer has presented a bouquet of poems relating to complex situations of life. To me it spoke of everlasting hope,trust,beauty of romance ,Universal Love,matters spiritual..
Provokes you to think on hand and induces a calming effect on the other.
An amazing read!”
“The book is a collection of poems that have a rhythm of their own. The lyrical depiction of emotions is powerful, charismatic & creates an impact when you immerse yourself in it. I personally loved all the poems and it is difficult to choose a single one. Each poem has its own flavor & it promises to take its readers along with it. The poet creates magic through his simple yet very powerful lines and weaves everlasting imagery through his words.”
‘The Woman That I Am’
‘The Woman That I Am’ is an anthology celebrating womanhood. Thirty 
writers joined hands to create this together and penned their heartfelt feelings celebrating womanhood in the form of poetry, fiction and anecdotes. the anthology is unique as it is bilingual and diverse with only a single thread joining all of these writers together and that is womanhood.
This book was conceived and compiled by Manas Mukul and Rashi Roy and was appreciated widely. Here are some of the wonderful reviews it received-
‘Womanhood joins all the dots and each piece stands as a reflection of the other. An absolutely enjoyable collection that completes your reading experience.’
‘This is the first-ever read of an anthology that can complete a woman for being a woman. Appreciating each work of art, a reader can pat herself for being a woman and a man being part of her. Congratulations to each one of you.’
‘A wonderful anthology, that I read during the Ebook carnival time. Though I read a few of the individual posts, reading it as a book gave me a different feeling altogether. Good Efforts by Manas and Rashi.’
If you have read the books or have watched the episode on my channel, don’t forget to comment below.
Stay tuned for the next lovely author.
This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023.
I have a personally signed copy of You, Me and The Universe 🙂