From peddling drugs to penning poetry; Journey of a jail poet

Five long and lonely years behind bars in a women's jail in Kannur district of Kerala transformed a middle-aged drug peddling convict into an author, a poet and a story teller.
Lissi, 40, who hails from the high-range district of Wayanadu in Kerala was arrested in 2010, for smuggling drugs which she claims she did to meet hospital expenses for her sister who was hospitalised for deadly burn injuries.
"They can imprison my body, but not my mind nor my freedom to think," says Lissi, who has till date penned eight short stories and numerous poems on topics ranging from rain, faces, love and loneliness to death, torture, lunacy and repentance.

A narrative account of Lissi's journey with letters including 14 poems and eight stories along with the tragic moments in her life is set to come out in a form of book titled 'From convict to writer,' by a journalist turned public relations professional Subin Manantawadi.
Lissi, who was an excellent student during childhood, as her teachers certify, had to drop out of school after matriculation because of her family's adverse economic conditions.
"I used to write small plays during my school days. Whenever there was a dance programme in school, my friends used to approach me to write songs. But after matriculation, I could not even touch my pen till I landed up in this jail in October 6, 2011," says the poet.