With her debut book entitled Woebegone Wynds, Hornbill Harcel has brought the old literature back to modern society. Born in UAE and writing under her pen name, the author first discovered poetry in chants, mantras, prayers, songs, hymns, anthems, etc., that later transformed into a gusto for writing. Hornbill Harcel is a Software Engineer by profession and a poet by passion. Woebegone Wynds hit the shelves in May 2021. Her book is a reflection of one’s persona and one’s existence and is pigeonholed into four parts depending upon the topic and style of poetry.

The poems like Wrongs and Rights, Laputa, The Hanged Man, etc., depict a story of a corrupted world with unequal rights and privileges, social and cultural injustices, capitalism, corruption, and discrimination which is tantamount to the bona fide world. The author has shed light on cognitive dissonance with her proses such as “Effete tells and tales they encase Never fitting in a utopian plaquette”. With the aid of storytelling and fantasy, Hornbill Harcel has painted an illusion to teach lessons on mental health, war, violence, physical abuse, self-harm, etc. In this age of modernization where the broadcasting networks, newspapers, bulletins, etc., are filled with political tensions between different countries, terrorism, warfare, bloodshed, etc., the author has utilized her words as a form of power. She delineates that people are imperfect beings and have significantly more to unearth.

In a recent discussion with The India Saga, the poet remarked, “The beautiful thing about humanity is that we have a lot more in common than what separates us. But those differences are often the key to who we are and the beauty it brings to the world. It is the differences that allow us to trace the beautiful similarities and catch a glimpse of what is pure and provide an insight into the human story. When we open ourselves to the world, we appreciate each other’s narratives. Though we must never forget that access is a privilege, and not all stories are ours to tell. Sometimes we are simply observers, and our only participation is to just be and learn. At other times, we get to share the tales of the mystery and magic we see in someone else’s life and take inspiration from their experience.”

In the wake of her debut book, Hornbill Harcel received Sahityakosh Samman and Author Awardee Award 2022. She was recognized for literary work and contributions for 2022 on World Book Day and was also 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”.

Presently residing in Punjab, the author is exploring new dimensions of creative writing and focusing on physical and mental health. The author was quite reticent in talking about her future projects but with a little inveigling, she revealed that some new projects are underway though the progress has been rather sluggish.