In Conversation With Authors

I have interviewed a couple of authors. Check out the links below.

In conversation with Sami Ahmad: Author of “Red Jihad”

Sami Ahmad Khan read Literature at Hindu College and Rajdhani College, University of Delhi. He then completed his master’s in English at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Sami was awarded a Fulbright grant at The University of Iowa, USA, in 2011. He has engaged in film production, teaching, theatre and writing. His short stories, plays and articles have been published in magazines and academic journals. His political thriller Red Jihad won the Muse India Young Writer (Runner-Up) Award at the Hyderabad Literary Festival 2013 and “Excellence in Youth Fiction Writing” at the National Debut Youth Fiction Awards at the Young Writers Meet during Delhi World Book Fair 2013.

Currently, Sami is a Doctoral Candidate at JNU, where he is working on Science Fiction and Techno-culture Studies. He is now working on a sequel to Red Jihad.

So we have him here for a tete – a – tete –

In conversation with Mukul Deva: India’s first military thriller writer!

An alumnus of La Martiniere College, Lucknow, the National Defence Academy, Pune and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Mukul Deva was commissioned in December 1981 into the Sikh Light Infantry of the Indian Army. He took early retirement from the army after fifteen years of service, including a decade of combat operations in India and overseas. He is now an entrepreneur and motivational speaker, leadership, business and executive coach, and consultant.

In conversation with Priya Narendra – Author of ‘You Never Know When You’ll Get Lucky!’

A corporate big wig, a former advertising professional, a writer, a mother – Priyadarshini Narendra, an IIM Kolkata and INSEAD passout has worn many hats. ‘You Never Know When You’ll Get Lucky‘ is her first attempt at portraying life in the happening world of advertising. So we have her here for a short tete-a-tete.

Aseem: What was that one ‘spark’ which inspired you to pen down “You never know when you will get lucky”?
Priya: Believe it or not, the crucial parts of the story came to me in a dream. I had the same dream three nights in a row and realized that I had to write down the story! The rest of it was just fleshing out the before and after.

In conversation with Bhavna Rai: Author of Fate, Fraud & A Friday Wedding

Bhavna Rai was born in Delhi and has subsequently lived in the Philippines, Kenya, Thailand, Germany and the US. In a career spanning fourteen years, she has worked with some of the leading technology firms of the world. She currently lives in Hong Kong, with her husband and their two children. Fate, Fraud & A Friday Wedding is her first novel.

1. When did you say to yourself – “I am going to become a writer”? How did it all begin?
I would have to go all the way back to IXth grade for this one. I always knew that I could write and would write. Why I didn’t actually write for about 10 years from college onwards, I can’t quite explain. Life took over, I guess. It was only in 2001 that I realized I had a story to tell and I needed to start writing it. So I opened a blank Word document with no plan, no outline, no timeline and then somehow it all just came together. For me, “Fate, Fraud And A Friday Wedding” is all about the characters. It’s set in a time when India was going through tremendous transformation and I wanted to write about how people’s lives have been transformed as well.

In conversation with Parimal Kalikar: Author of The Godly Blunder

Parimal Kalikar graduated in Hotel Management and earned his first buck as a bell boy at a five star resort in Goa. Even though he pursued his master’s in Human Resource Management, he worked as a credit cards salesman in a multinational company. After leaving his lucrative job in 2009, he decided to pursue his dream of writing and owning a business. His hobbies include photography and listening to music.

You can read my review here – “A Godly Blunder”.

1. What drove you to write?

I always liked writing essays and penned random thoughts. I dreamed of publishing my novel one day, but never did I imagine that it would happen so early in my life.

Penning down my thoughts excites me and I enjoy it immensely. And so the move was made to give this career a try.

In conversation with Puneet Gupta: Author of The Suicide Banker

Puneet Gupta is a career banker with experience of over fifteen years in India. Presently working with one of the largest banks in the Middle East, he has retained his passion for writing, trekking and painting. ‘The Suicide Banker’ is his first novel.

1. What was your inspiration to write? When did you decide that you wanted to put your thoughts into words?

When I think of it, more than inspiration, it was my frustration that forced me to write. During one of my stints with a leading bank, I felt hopelessly frustrated with the way the business was being conducted and when nobody heeded to my voices, I took to pen.

Initially I had no plans of making it a commercial venture but when I read a leading Indian mass fiction writer, I suddenly realized that if he can become a successful writer, why can’t I?

Tete-a-Tete with Jims Andrews – Navy Engineer & Author of The Patriot

Jims Andrews is a chief engineer with the merchant navy, sailing the high seas for the last ten years. He lives in Calicut with his family. He has written two books namely – “Fall of a Sparrow” set in the backdrop of the tsunami which lashed the archipelago of the Andaman and Nicobar and “The Patriot” which is a marine terrorism edge-of-the-seat thriller.

1. What inspired you to start writing?

The answer to this one is very simple and honest. I write for the love
of writing.