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| Samah Visaria |
Read up, the Interview with Samah Visaria,
author of 'Encounters of a Fat Bride'. In this interview, she tells us, how the entire book came about,
what gave her the idea of the ‘fat bride’ element, how she relates the lives of
her characters to lives today, the most challenging and fulfilling parts of the
story, which character she felt most close to, what she thought was different
about her book, her favourite authors and books, and much more, Folks…
How did ‘Encounters of a Fat
Bride’ happen? Could you describe the journey?
‘Encounters of a Fat Bride’
was one of many manuscripts I had been working on last year. It
is one of the fastest stories I have written, and finding a publisher for it
was easier than for any of my other work.
The journey has been
fulfilling so far. Being a published author is any average aspiring writer’s
dream and I feel blessed to have finally begun my journey as an author on such
a high note.
What about the fat bride element? What gave you the idea?
As a writer I have many
ideas for stories, and I maintain a list of topics that I update from time to
time. This plot had been at the back of my mind for a while before I
started writing, though I can’t pinpoint exactly what triggered it.
As a person I am observant
of everything around me and for a while this arranged marriage process has had
my attention. When I started writing the story I didn’t have a definite way to
go about it, and developed the story on the way.
How much of ‘you’ was in it?
Was it there at all?
Not much in particular.
Maybe an incident or two would be from my life but the characters are not like
me, at least not consciously.
What according to you is
different about your book?
This is not an easy question to answer
because there is a sea of books out there that I haven’t read. I’ll tell you what I like about my book. The book is easy
to read. Some of my readers have finished it in one sitting.
So it’s a good option for those who are
new to the world of reading. The language is
simple. The story is relevant; it’s realistic so readers would connect with it
automatically. It has the ability to make you laugh.
The idea behind the book was not to send
a message but since it happens to do that, I take it as a plus point. Also, the
cover is fantastic, won’t you agree? Haha!
How would you relate the lives
of characters to the lives of brides or fat brides today? Any similarities?
There are similarities. A woman’s appearance is a major deciding factor in an arranged
marriage, as compared to her qualifications. If you think about the characters
in the story you may find that you know at least one person in your life who
seems similar to one of the characters.
Like there’s always
someone in a person’s life who considers matchmaking their forte. We all know
someone who is trying to lose weight for a wedding, don’t we? And someone who
is trying to find love, someone who is going berserk, planning their wedding.
What were the most challenging
and the most fulfilling parts about writing ‘Encounters of a Fat Bride’?
Most fulfilling would easily be the fact
that it has put me out there in the market as a published author. ‘Encounters
of a Fat Bride’ will always hold a special place in my heart, it is the
beginning of my journey, and my innings with Penguin Books.
Most challenging part
while writing the book was finding a comical voice to narrate a serious
subject. Such a subject could be a very heavy and depressing read.
I can write the same story
and sell it to you in a voice that will make you cry rather than laugh. The
latter is tougher to write but easier to read.
However, there is another challenge with
this book. Since the story tackles a number of
serious subjects that are rampant in our current world people tend to make it a
platform for change, and confuse the protagonist’s voice with my own as a
person. They applaud me when my central character overcomes her ordeals and
judge me when her imperfect side surfaces. It’s a challenge for me to be
affected by neither.
Which
particular character did you feel most close to? Why?
The protagonist
is bound to be closest to me because I’ve spent a lot of time with her. But I love the grandmother. She’s so unpredictable and
funny!
Who was it that told you that you
could become the author, you are today?
My mother and my husband
have always believed I would make it, but there is a long way to go. I have achieved
very little yet.
When will your next book be out?
I can’t comment on this yet. We’re working on it.
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| Agatha Christie |
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| Sidney Sheldon |
Which are your favourite books
and why?
They keep changing from time to time. I
tend to get obsessed with a book for a while until I find another good one.
But Sidney Sheldon’s books
are my all-time favourites. I have started enjoying Agatha Christie. I love
thrillers that keep me hooked for hours.
Who are your favourite authors
and why?
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| Twinkle Khanna (Wikipedia) |
I like that you’ve asked my favourite
books and favourite authors separately. It makes sense. I won’t go with the
term ‘favourite’. I’ll tell you the authors of the recent times I admire.
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| Durjoy Dutta (Twitter) |
What else do you do on a daily
basis?
During work hours I write fiction, I
write articles, I research on marketing my books, I play solitaire and waste
time on social media. Outside of work hours I read, exercise and watch shows on
Netflix.
What advice do you have for
young writers like yourself?
I have so much to learn that I still
need advice! To answer your question, I would
suggest aspiring writers to keep more than one manuscript ready before starting
the process of finding a publisher.
Don’t approach publishers
with a concept; approach them when you have the final product. Have patience
and keep writing.
You
can Read the Review, too and Buy the Book, here as well.
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