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The young brigade
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At “Young Authors”, three first-time novelists talked about their lure to writing
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Their writing reflects the people they are. Amandeep Sandhu writes to understand himself better and Advaita Kala says it easier to write than to speak. Sandhu, Kala and Ankush Saikia are merely a novel old, and they got together to discuss writing an
d their works at “Young Authors” organised as part of the Delhi International Arts Festival recently. The discussion at the India Habitat Centre was moderated by the author of “Spy Princess,” Shrabani Basu.
Kala’s novel “Almost Single” created a few ripples when it came out about four months ago. Touted as the Indian answer to Bridget Jones, it also marked the launch of the chic-lit genre in India. Kala admits being uncomfortable with its “chic-lit” status, until a Google search revealed it was not so bad after all.
“It is compared to Bridget Jones all the time,” says Kala. “Almost Single” explores the life of a 29-year-old single woman in a city. “The urban woman’s experience is not that different world over,” says Kala, the writer-hotelier. The author, who prefers to call herself a “collector of experiences” says, “I am tired of seeing the tragic single woman. Having fun is also empowerment.”
In a childhood spent at different places, often in her own company, Kala says, “Writing became a friend. Books and dogs are my two best friends.”
For Sandhum writing “Sepia Leaves” – launched that evening – was a “cathartic experience”. An intensely personal narrative, the novel dwells on growing up in a broken home, a schizophrenic mother and mental illness.
It is the letters his parents wrote to him that drew Sandhu to writing. “Those letters inspired in me a love for words,” says Sandhu. “Writing about personal matters was deeply cathartic. I wrote to come to terms with my sorrows,” says the debutante author.
Saikia’s first novel “Jet City Woman” was published some time ago and the author admits he was “relieved” when his work finally saw the light of the day. “The novel is about a student who arrives from Shillong and takes on from there,” Saikia is cryptic.
The novelists also read excerpts from their works.
P. ANIMA
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