Fiction is often meant to entertain or convey an author's point of view. However, in ‘Mrs C Remembers,’ author Himanjali Sankar manages to do both. On December 6th Himanjali joined us for a stimulating discussion about her writing journey, books and more. She was in conversation with noted author Sujata Parashar.
Himanjali grew up in Kolkata, studied English Literature at JNU, New Delhi and has worked with various publishing houses. She’s currently an editor with Bloomsbury India. Himanjali has also written a couple of children’s fiction. ‘Mrs. C Remembers’ is her first adult - fiction.
During the hour-long interaction, Himanjali candidly shared that the book, which narrates the life of a compliant wife who after forty years of managing her husband’s household is afflicted with Alzheimer’s and slowly starts forgetting things, is not only based on her mother but also is a round–up of all the women she’s known in her life, ‘...and some bit fiction.’
During the discussion, she also disclosed that the writing bug hit her when she was about five.
Her first piece was a short poem which her mother had proudly displayed to her friends and it was that encouragement from her which motivated Himanjali to start writing. The author further revealed that although she’s been writing for long and completely enjoys the process, there’s no particular routine that she follows. She lets an idea simmer for a while before getting down to writing the book and it takes her about a couple of months to finish the first draft.
The author further revealed that although she’s been writing for long and completely enjoys the process, there’s no particular routine that she follows.
The discussion was followed by a brief fun – activity where the audience was encouraged to complete a few pre-selected lines from the book drawing from their own imagination. The activity witnessed enthusiastic participation. And three of the top respondents won author – signed copies of the book. There were some literature students and aspiring writers among the audience who were excited to meet Himanjali and had several questions for her to which she responded over coffee and hot snacks.
Also Read: Himanjali Sankar Says, ‘writing for me is cathartic and enjoyable’
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Sujata Parashar is the founder of Talk it Out (TiO)
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