Dividing Lines
Introduction: Anuradha Muralidharan, who recently won in the Commonwealth Short Story Competition, shares her thoughts with Puja Goyal. Is there a hiatus between Indian writers and Indian readers?
Anuradha Muralidharan recently won the Commonwealth Short Story Competition, sponsored by the Commonwealth Foundation and administered by the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association. ‘Nimble Fingers’, a short story written by her was selected from 4,000 entries. Anuradha has two more books to her credit, ‘The Coconut Cutter and Other Stories’ and ‘Wingless’.
Her initial push in writing was the result of wanting to do something more with her time; after which there was no looking back. Her father, who is a well-known writer himself, influenced her when she was a child although she started writing only about nine years ago.
Ms. Muralidharan draws her inspiration from ordinary people around her. ‘Nimble Fingers’, was inspired by a write – up that she came across on the Internet. The write- up was based on the plight of bonded laborers in India. As such, Ms. Muralidharan who is sensitive to the social set-up spun a story out of it.
The lunchtime spent with her resulted in a pleasant exchange on the philosophies of life. She spoke about Paulo Coelho’s ‘Alchemist’ and said that there is indeed something called ‘Karma’. If we believe in something subconsciously and want to achieve it then we will. The laws of nature are such that the plan to finally attain your destination falls into place merely by acting. People are simply put there to help you realize that dream and indicate at something you would have missed. I asked her if she had ever thought about ever having the urge to extend a character or a story, if it has potential to be spun into a novel? To which she contemplated that she had never thought about it and here was one such example of Karma of a chance meeting for the same purpose of realizing the dream.
When do you decide that this is where the book should end? Anuradha replied, “I look at the number of words I want to write and depending on that I end the book.”
When we compare Indian authors to foreign authors it is strange that even though we have good talented writers, they still do not attract the vibrancy of a Michael Chrichton or a Tom Clancy. That most Indians walk into a bookstore and they would still pick up a foreign publisher rather than an Indian publisher. The question was put forward to her to which she said that it could be because we as children are conditioned to read foreign authors in our syllabus in school. It is very pseudo; maybe it is because Indians like to fantasize about foreign grounds and people. They want to know what it feels like to be someone else, its exotic. Indian authors write about what is close to their heart and/or base it on there own social experiences. Indian readers on the other hand want to look at other lifestyles instead of reading about themselves. Which is why V.S. Naipaul writes mostly about Indians in an offshore set-up.
If I have to come to conclusion then… this could be the key to success for Indian authors... a new dimension to the imagination (Michael Chrichton, Stephen King), a dash of humor from the ordinary life (Ruskin Bond) and a faster pace (Matthew Reilly)… anyone listening?
Anuradha Muralidharan recently won the Commonwealth Short Story Competition, sponsored by the Commonwealth Foundation and administered by the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association. ‘Nimble Fingers’, a short story written by her was selected from 4,000 entries. Anuradha has two more books to her credit, ‘The Coconut Cutter and Other Stories’ and ‘Wingless’.
Her initial push in writing was the result of wanting to do something more with her time; after which there was no looking back. Her father, who is a well-known writer himself, influenced her when she was a child although she started writing only about nine years ago.
Ms. Muralidharan draws her inspiration from ordinary people around her. ‘Nimble Fingers’, was inspired by a write – up that she came across on the Internet. The write- up was based on the plight of bonded laborers in India. As such, Ms. Muralidharan who is sensitive to the social set-up spun a story out of it.
The lunchtime spent with her resulted in a pleasant exchange on the philosophies of life. She spoke about Paulo Coelho’s ‘Alchemist’ and said that there is indeed something called ‘Karma’. If we believe in something subconsciously and want to achieve it then we will. The laws of nature are such that the plan to finally attain your destination falls into place merely by acting. People are simply put there to help you realize that dream and indicate at something you would have missed. I asked her if she had ever thought about ever having the urge to extend a character or a story, if it has potential to be spun into a novel? To which she contemplated that she had never thought about it and here was one such example of Karma of a chance meeting for the same purpose of realizing the dream.
When do you decide that this is where the book should end? Anuradha replied, “I look at the number of words I want to write and depending on that I end the book.”
When we compare Indian authors to foreign authors it is strange that even though we have good talented writers, they still do not attract the vibrancy of a Michael Chrichton or a Tom Clancy. That most Indians walk into a bookstore and they would still pick up a foreign publisher rather than an Indian publisher. The question was put forward to her to which she said that it could be because we as children are conditioned to read foreign authors in our syllabus in school. It is very pseudo; maybe it is because Indians like to fantasize about foreign grounds and people. They want to know what it feels like to be someone else, its exotic. Indian authors write about what is close to their heart and/or base it on there own social experiences. Indian readers on the other hand want to look at other lifestyles instead of reading about themselves. Which is why V.S. Naipaul writes mostly about Indians in an offshore set-up.
If I have to come to conclusion then… this could be the key to success for Indian authors... a new dimension to the imagination (Michael Chrichton, Stephen King), a dash of humor from the ordinary life (Ruskin Bond) and a faster pace (Matthew Reilly)… anyone listening?
© 2005 Puja Goyal
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