At the latest edition of SheThePeople Bookclub's reading sessions held at SodaBottleOpenerWala in Khan Market, Anjali Kirpalani discussed her new book "19 Till I Die" and gave an insight into her writing odyssey. She was in conversation with poet and novelist Sujata Parashar.
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Anjali was born and brought up in India, lived in South Africa and then returned to India. She says, “I was happy to be back to Mumbai.”
On her first book - Never Say Never
“My first book actually happened when I was 26. But, I had started writing it much earlier. This, actually I started writing when I was in between jobs," Anjali shared on when and how she dabbled in writing.
Never Say Never talks about a girl who is trying to figure out things in her life. She said that she could identify the protagonist as it was “pretty much similar to her experiences at that point in time".
It took her longer to write her first book. After which, she developed a momentum to write. She completed her last book in 6 months. Anjali believes the time for writing, shall decrease further for her the upcoming books.
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On "19 Till I Die" and the writing process
Talking about her recent book, she said “I am still like 19 0r 20 in that zone. After finishing the book, I had to remind myself that I am older now. I enjoyed writing the book "19 Till I Die" because I got a chance to go back in time and revisit those years. “ - Anjali
On her favourite characters from the book, she says, “I love all my characters equally. They all have different personalities. Bits and pieces of how I have felt, how people I know have felt. They are not based on any one person entirely.”
"It is a fiction, but the reason characters become relatable is the reason they are based on real people," she added.
Talking about her own experiences with first-time writers, she said, “Don’t think if I’m a first time writer, will they take my work. If it is good, it will work.”
E-books vs traditional books
Anjali believes that traditional books will always trend. She says, “Digital can co-exist with the books. There are still people who enjoy reading traditional books only”.
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Also Read: World Book Day: Write your way to success by Anjali Kirpalani
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