Kitabe Club's Blog
Where we write about reading.
Croatian literature refers to literary works attributed to the medieval and modern culture of the Croats, Croatia, and Croatian. Besides the modern language whose shape and orthography was standardized in the late 19th century, it also covers the oldest works produced within the modern borders of Croatia, written in Church Slavonic and Medieval Latin, as well as vernacular works written in Čakavian and Kajkavian dialects
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Vauhini Vara was born in Saskatchewan, Canada, as a child of Indian immigrants, and grew up there and in Oklahoma and the Seattle suburbs. Her debut novel, The Immortal King Rao (W.W. Norton), is a New York Times Editors’ Choice and has been longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize; reviewing it in the Times, Justin Taylor called it “a monumental achievement.”
Q: You started working on the Immortal King Rao in the year 2009. How was your creative endeavor working on this novel which certainly marks your debut as an author?
VV: It was long and arduous but, in the end, very fulfilling.
Q: On the work front you have worked as a Wall Street Journal technology reporter and as the business editor for The New Yorker. Was there any way in which you feel your job has contributed to this multigenerational epic journey as an author begin?
VV: Yes, the book’s concerns, having to do with capitalism, technology, and family, are deeply informed by my work as a business journalist.
Q: Much of the success of the multi stranded narrative depends on how well it has been characterised. The Immortal King Rao has been reviewed as three great novels as one. The book consists of three different storylines, we would like to know about the process of amalgamating these three storylines into one novel and the sequencing or structuring of the same ?
VV: Properly structuring the book was one of the most difficult aspects of writing it. I kept trying different structures, over and over, until I finally arrived at one — after many years — that worked.
Q: A few major subjects or questions the novel immortal King Rao poses at the familial, societal and global scale is concerning the rising self sovereignty among people and the materiality of interdependence. What are your personal opinions or ideologies about these subjects?
VV: I prefer to engage with these questions in a fictional format and try not to say too much outside of that, to better allow readers to come to their own conclusions.
Apart from being Satirical and heartbreaking, packed with historical detail and flawless dystopian world building, The Immortal King Rao is also an intimate character study, portraying the complicated bonds of families. As one continues to read the book proceeds to unravel the personality of the king from being a larger than life genius to a scared and puzzled child, how would you describe this process of intricate character building?
VV: I didn’t know who King, or his daughter Athena, for that matter, would be, until I started writing and kept going. It was a process of discovery for me.
Q:Lastly, what piece of advice would you like to give all the young writers out there? Anything you would like to share that has helped you maintain momentum or to grow and evolve not only as a writer but also as a person?
Read as much as you can!
Q:Tell us about the future literary projects that you are working on.1 response
VV: I’m working on a story collection called This is Salvaged.
Debasmita Dasgupta is a Singapore-based internationally published picture-book illustrator and graphic novel artist with over a decade of experience in the field of art-for-change. She specialises in creating cause-based illustrations, be it about promoting girl child rights, ending violence against women or sharing inspiring stories of change makers. Her work has been showcased across many countries in the world.
Have you ever considered writing under a pseudonym, and why or why not?
DD: No. My name has always been a conversation starter in my life. In Sanskrit it means “the smile of God”.
How long did it take to finish “Kesar and the Lullaby Birds” ?
DD: From visual research to final colour illustrations took me about 6-8 months.
Tell us about some anecdotes that were a part of the writing process of this book?
DD: Illustrating Kesar’s story has been a terrific experience. I love vibrant colours and patterns and textures. And this story gave me to opportunity to experiment and create with each of these elements. I have dedicated this book to India’s incredible indigenous artists who have always inspired my art.
How would you describe your Book’s Ideal reader ?
DD: Children of all ages, precisely 7-9 years
Tell us about the future literary projects that you are working on.
DD: I am working on one picture book, 2 graphic novels for children, and one graphic novel for young adults. All releasing in 2022-23.
Akshat Gupta, author of ‘The Hidden Hindu’. Also a Bollywood screenwriter, lyricist, and poet based in Mumbai. Akshat has more than 5 films in his bag, including 2 with T-Series and others with known production houses of Bollywood.
How did your journey as an author begin?
AG: I began writing for my son. He loved watching all the fictional stories and was a huge fan of Marvel, DC, Harry potter and others. In 2014, I came to Mumbai leaving behind my restaurant business and started a new journey as a writer. Initially it was a little difficult but slowly and steadily things lead me to the right path in life.
Have you ever considered writing under a pseudonym, and why or why not?
AG: I have never considered writing under a pseudonym. There are no reasons behind it.
The cover of the book is quite interesting and eye catching, would you like to tell us more about it?
AG: Yes, the cover was created by a guy named Sangram and Mr. Neeraj, all the credits to them. We have been getting amazing responses about the cover and we are happy how it came out as well.
Tell us a bit about the Symbols that is in the end of the book ?
AG: The symbol as a whole covers the entire journey of ‘The Hidden Hindu’. Each and every element carved on the symbol has a specific relevance and importance to the story. That’s all I can add to this question as I don’t want to become the spoiler of my own story.
What was the thought process when you introduced Subhash Chandra Bose character’s ?
AG: There have been talks and theories about the end of the great Subash Chandra Bose, but it was never confirmed. Many characters in our story including Subash Chandra Bose were essential in the creation of the story. As all the things mentioned about the Hindu scriptures and history are facts and not fiction and our story revolves around the same.
Tell us about the future literary projects that you are working on.
AG: We are working on a lot of things, and I hope that the next literary piece comes out soon for the people to read.
Sometimes in life, you understand the #joyofgiving.
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We, through @kitabeclub and it’s #members donated close to #100books to Shivaji Maharaj PCMC School 🏫 for building their #schoollibrary .