Write On! interviews author Ripon Ray.

My name is Ripon Ray. Professionally, I work in the debt advice sector. I’ve been working in the industry for over 13 years as a front-line debt adviser, advising struggling communities in London who are in financial hardship. When I find a way for them to be debt-free, it just buzzes me! 

I’m also a trainer for future debt advisers. I think we need more debt advisers, because demand outweighs supply. Previously, I’ve been involved with local Citizens Advice Bureaus and many other local and national organisations. I’m in the process of setting up a debt advice service to make sure minority communities find a way to be debt-free.

 I’m also one of the leading national debt podcasters. To my surprise, I beat Martin Lewis’s BBC Money Show’s rating on Spotify and he is mega-BIG! Do check out my podcast.

In terms of writing a book:  Covid Crisis: The Brit-Bangla Response,  this piece of work was not something I’d planned and I don’t think I’d have written it had there not been a pandemic. Since the first Lockdown in March 2020, my personal life has been in turmoil, just like millions, or even billions, of people in the world. Initially, it began as my recollection of the pandemic to share my struggles as a Bengali man from east London.  It just then grew as we found ourselves deeper into the crisis. During this period, the platform I created, BritBanglaCovid, became a major platform for researchers, campaigners, health professionals and local and national organisations to understand ways to address minority questions.

I also led major campaigns around undocumented migrants to get them vaccinated and, as part of it, I created 15 leaflets in different languages with support from health professionals, campaigners and translators.

WO: How would you describe your writing to someone new to it?

RR: I don’t have a role model to whom I can turn for inspiration. I felt I had to find my path and my own voice as a Bengali gay man. My book is a bit like documentation of a community in a collective sense, since there are shared culture, language and customs in the Bengali community. I just tapped into people around me as a local community ‘historian’ rather than a writer.

I have always enjoyed reading about the history of South Asia since I studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies.  So I thought, how can I put my writing into a wider perspective where people can learn about Bangladeshis or, most importantly, Sylhetti Bangladeshis in London.  So I carried on writing, making videos and organising campaigns from the perspective of the Bengali communities. These materials now form part of my written work within an historical archive.

Many people may have forgotten about some aspects of the pandemic. However, if we fast forward a few more years, we may look back and see how much Bengalis have achieved and done in their community. If it wasn’t for a  book like this one, there would be no community record of the contributions the Bengali community made. This is why the title is very reactive: Response. If there was no pandemic, there would have been no response to it by the community.

WO: Can you tell us a bit about your latest book, Covid Crisis: The Brit-Bangla Response?

RR: When you open the book, you’ll notice the powerful visual images, landmarks and people in east London. The battle during the pandemic was about persuading vulnerable communities to think differently, using visual means. Since many elderly Bengalis had low English literacy rates, the messages were carried to these communities visually.

The book’s contents start with a preface where you will find quotes from Professor Alastair Owens from the Queen Mary University of London and Chris Tang from Kings College. You’ll then get a brief history of the Bangladeshis (most importantly Sylhettis) in South Asia and the UK, which we rarely speak about. Next comes a Lockdown Report, published in Oct 2020, which highlights the literacy rate of those who died during the pandemic from Bengali heritage from the outcome survey carried out. Finally, you’ll see some of the major campaign work carried out by BritBanglaCovid, includingorganising public meetings and creating leaflets to mobile communities to comply with Lockdown and take the vaccines.

The personal stories captured from the beginning of the pandemic until near the end are a key part of this book. You’ll find how their lives changed, what they heard from their neighbours and what they did to save lives in their community. You’ll also find stories from medical professionals who were on the front line: debt advisers, probation officers, industry leaders and many more.

Because I come from a campaigning background and collected information and stories, there are patterns I identified with, which may benefit health professionals in terms of planning for another pandemic response.

WO: What inspired you to write in the first place, and what inspires you now?

RR: My inspiration is simple. The stories of the Bengalis during the pandemic are as important as anyone else’s. I also know there’s a battle in mainstream media to get more positive exposure. Bengalis don’t tend to get access to this.  With this in mind, I’m creating exposure for this community to serve the public interest.

WO: Recently, Write On! explored the theme of ‘Misunderstandings.’ These can be used with great effect when writing. Do you have a favourite literary misunderstanding? Is it something you actively look to add into your work?

RR: For me, the meaning of ‘Misunderstanding’ is broad and I therefore interpret the word in my own way. It would be fair to say, for example,  I wrote this book to make sure the wider community, regardless of anyone’s background, understands the struggle of a minority, ie. the Bengali community, thus avoiding misunderstandings. Many doctors and nurses also lost their lives while taking care of vulnerable patients and some of these were Bengalis.

WO: What one piece of advice would you give an aspiring writer?

RR: There’s a saying: “If you want to be a writer, you must read lots first.”  It’s true. You must read lots, no matter what. If you want to write novels, it’s important to read lots. Once you combine reading with the practice of writing, you are then ready to start your journey as a writer. Keep on taking feedback as to how you write. It might also help you to join writers’ forums,  so you can regularly hear from others in your position.

Apart from all this, the next step is to edit your work; a skill you develop as time goes on. If you’re ready to move to the next step, feel free to submit your work to local or national writers’ competitions. Doing this will help you get noticed as a writer and collect further feedback.

View your experience as a journey. I know so many writers have had knock-backs. It’s a journey. If you enjoy something, it’s  worth pursuing!

WO: Question from Instagram user: @grasshopper2407 How important is it that these community stories get told?

RR: The definition of ‘local community’ changes whether we like it or not. To me, it’s important for building connection. Most of my book is written from an Eastender’s perspective.

The local community is changing and has changed in the area. Just after the Second World War, the East End had  a big Jewish community. From the 1970s onwards, this was  replaced by the Bengali community. The community I know is also undergoing a huge change due to factors such as the cost of living and gentrification. For a lot of people in the East End, it’s impossible to buy a home. Many Bengalis are moving to places like Ilford and Barking And Dagenham. My siblings now live in Ilford and Barking.

If I didn’t write about this community, an outsider may not understand the period I’m writing about. 

WO: Can you tell us anything about future projects?

RR: I’m thinking about two future projects. On a creative level, I’m working on a photography project linked with Brighton, where I take pictures of ‘People by the Sea’. When people are by the seashore, I ask them their reasons for being there. Some people go to the sea to meditate and others go there to overcome their trauma. There are so many other reasons. I take pictures with a medium format manual camera while they are explaining their reasons to me.

My other visual project is linked with my family. I have taken pictures of my Bengali family for the last 20 years with a variety of cameras: 35 ml, medium format and digital cameras. I have thousands of images of family members at home in squalid conditions; the images taken while people were unaware.

WO: Lastly, if you could choose one fictional animal/creature to be a pet or companion, who would it be and why?

I love black panthers! I know we don’t get panthers as pets or companions. They are very wild and intriguing to me. A panther will certainly keep me on my toes. I feel I’m a bit wild due to my dyslexia and dysgraphia and may also be affected by ADHD. I shall be taking an assessment for this condition soon. But a panther is very appealing.

You can find out more about Ray Ripon here: britbanglacovid.com.

Covid Crisis: The Brit-Bangla Response is available to buy from Amazon

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Issue 25, featuring Sheila O’Flanagan, is out now. You will find it in libraries and other outlets. Alternatively, all current and previous editions can be found on our magazines page here. 

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