“Mom I want to be like you when I grow up”, a rewarding compliment for any mother when she hears this from her child. It rang a sense of sweetness and glory when Jyoti heard her only son say this to her, and her enthusiasm deflated immediately when the reason behind it soaked into her meager ego. ‘You get to stay home all day and relax’. Well, one could only ignore this childish ignorance about the mantle of a homemaker, a hectic and round-the-clock lineup of tasks, worries, and responsibilities. Still, she did try to explain to her son the same. A gratifying hug from her son indicating his convinced curiosity left Jyoti pondering if she was convinced. That nagging feeling deep down, about the road not taken, resurfaced with a newer determination to find her true self all over again.
An MBA from Pune University and an Ex-HR Professional having been associated with corporates like Infosys and Whirlpool in the past, Jyoti Jha made a conscious choice of dropping her career and globetrotting with her family to be a proud homemaker and raise her child. Having resided in the USA and UK for about a decade, back in the comfort of her home country, India, she was now head-on with the stark reality of ‘what now’? What next? And how to use her potential, prowess, and passion beyond the confines of home chores and utilize her time to empower herself. Since her childhood, Jyoti imagined herself encapsulated in a space of her own, drowned in the work she loved intently, wandering around her sea of ponders. And as luck might have it, a chance sighting of the Write India Campaign by The Times of India and the winning title of the contest became a life-changing feat for her to not only achieve her long-cherished dream but also help her rediscover herself as a writer in the second inning. And there has been no looking back since then.
Although a writer’s journey is daunting and intensive that eludes a fanciful dream and merges into a real world of goals, objectives, publishing, and marketing aspects, Jyoti, on her path of being an Authorpreneur with grit, determination, guidance, and persistence, went on to set an example for many aspiring to be a writer. Speaker at the Times LitFest, and an honorable Jury Member at the Kashiyatra IIT BHU, Jyoti Jha is an author of three books in both English and Hindi, a Columnist at The Literary Mirror, and a Featured Writer at The Daily Guardian. A proud winner of several literary awards and accolades like the LIB Gujarat Women Excellence Award, Gargi Excellence Award, Global Progressive Women Award, Iconic Authors, Savitribai Phule Rashtriya Samman, Asian Literary Award, PVLF Author Excellence Award (Shortlisted), and Auther Awards by the Times of India and JK Papers (Nominated), to name a few, her books have garnered much appreciation from readers, prominent media houses, and the literary fraternity. IPS Vikas Vaibhav has felicitated her at Let's Inspire Bihar Mumbai Samvad for her endeavors and achievements in the literary world and Maulik Films and Bachpan MothersTouch School Deoghar at Autism Awareness Program have felicitated her. Featured among Top 6 Young Indian Personalities by India Today, Speaker and Panelist at several IITs and IIM Lucknow, Jury at IMI Kritva and IIT BHU (The Literary Club), and Speaker at IIT Jammu G20 Speakers Meet, she has conducted writing workshops in IIT Jammu and few other platforms. She has also been a Speaker at some reputed literary festivals of the country. Her literary path has had mentors and experts from the industry who have held the mast strong for her to keep steering her writing endeavors. Vinita Nangia, Director; Times LitFest and Write India, Nitish Raj, Editor-in-Chief; The Literary Mirror, and Vikash Raj Saxena, Founder-Literia Insight have been her mentors for literary efforts and accomplishments.
Her writing explores the various spheres of human elements, sentiments, and extent of existence. From the roots of the society, her Hindi Novella ‘Aanandi’ depicts the story of a girl who is an ‘Illustrative symbol of women empowerment’. Adapted for Play by Saimona Creation under Lets Inspire Bihar, shortlisted for PVLF Author Excellence Award 2023 by FrontList, featured at the coveted literature festivals like Pune International Literature Festival, Kalinga Literary Festival, and Ahmedabad International Literature Festival, launched at Bihar Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, and made into an Audiobook by Pune based Studio (Zankar Studios) for Storytel, the book has been highly acclaimed by the literary fraternity, loved by the readers, and praised by some major media of the country. The book has become a bestseller by reaching the target of selling 5000+ copies.
Spreading wings across the globe, her Travelogue, ‘Around The World Through My Lens’ explores some beautiful destinations over the world. Featured among ‘Ten Indian Authors redefining Modern Literature’ by Kathmandu Tribune, the book is listed as 'One of the Indian masterpieces not to be missed' by the prestigious media house The Statesman and has been reviewed and appreciated by The Times of India.
Her Short Story Collection, ‘Heart’s Sanctuary & Other Stories’ is an immersive experience into the sphere of human emotions. The book has been reviewed by The Times of India and has been nominated as Best Short-Story Collection in The Lit Fest 2022 by The Literary Mirror. It has also been nominated for Auther Awards by The Times of India and JK Paper in the Popular Choice category. Jyoti has also edited a book (Hindi) on Padmashree Sindhutai and contributed (Poetry) to ‘Toshali- An Anthology of Poetry’. Her upcoming translated work 'Chaubatiya’ (From Angika to Hindi) is a literary tribute to her father and renowned writer in Angika, an Indo-Aryan language. She is currently working on her book ‘Beyond Spectrum: Positive Parenting’ in association with MothersTouch Deoghar, to contribute to society in raising awareness towards Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Having lived in several metro cities of India and resided in the tourist hubs of the USA and UK for most of her life, she feels pride in belonging to a state rich with history, heritage, knowledge, and power, one that has been a center of power, learning, and culture in ancient times, primeval, and classical India, Bihar. As a voluntary participant of the revolutionary campaign Let’s Inspire Bihar initiated and guided by the most popular leader and visionary, IPS Vikas Vaibhav, Jyoti aims to align her literary contributions and efforts in the action-oriented mission of the campaign to re-establish the past glory of the state. Jyoti has been an avid reader throughout and she loves to engross herself in reading numerous books. While reading is enriching, she realized, writing makes her feel liberated. She likes tussling with words and engrossing herself in tranquil moments of contemplation on literature, and translating them into meaningful and effective expressions. She shares her musings on her website My Views and Reviews. Ingrained with a literature-oriented upbringing, she aspires to thrive in the literary world and contribute to society through her continued expedition and endeavors.
And she gloats in pride even today when her son still wants to be like her, To be a Writer…and an Entrepreneur!
