Sarah Willmann
asked
Alka Joshi:
Hi Alka joshi I really enjoyed your book the henna artist and cannot wait for the next book. What is your favourite character you've written for the book? And what was your inspiration for your book? do you have any favourite books? Did those books help give you inspiration for your books? Sorry for the bombardment of questions but I enjoy your work. From Sarah
Alka Joshi
Thanks for loving The Henna Artist! I love hearing from readers :-). I loved the characters of Lakshmi (who was inspired by my mother), Malik (who is the most loyal street urchin you'll meet), and Maharani Indira, who waters her orchids with gin and tonics (I loved all her eccentricities, including the talking parakeet).
My inspiration for the novel was my mother, whose life I wanted to reimagine as an independent woman who forges her own life and livelihood in a way my mother never had the chance to. Although she died two years into the writing of the book, mom has never left me. She's with me every single day in my memories, my imagination, and my creative spirit.
I have lots of favorite books, including the ones I mention in my Acknowledgements, at the back of THE HENNA ARTIST. These were the books that informed the political, social and cultural climate of the novel. I also watched a lot of Indian films taking place in the 1950s to understand the nuances of clothing, traditions, and social relationships.
Here's a presentation I did for the San Francisco Library that will give you even more detailed answers (it was a lot of fun!). I start speaking around minute 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHRpT...
Thanks so much for your questions! Hugs, Alka
My inspiration for the novel was my mother, whose life I wanted to reimagine as an independent woman who forges her own life and livelihood in a way my mother never had the chance to. Although she died two years into the writing of the book, mom has never left me. She's with me every single day in my memories, my imagination, and my creative spirit.
I have lots of favorite books, including the ones I mention in my Acknowledgements, at the back of THE HENNA ARTIST. These were the books that informed the political, social and cultural climate of the novel. I also watched a lot of Indian films taking place in the 1950s to understand the nuances of clothing, traditions, and social relationships.
Here's a presentation I did for the San Francisco Library that will give you even more detailed answers (it was a lot of fun!). I start speaking around minute 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHRpT...
Thanks so much for your questions! Hugs, Alka
More Answered Questions
Karen Klink
asked
Alka Joshi:
This reminds me of the way Native Americans were treated in the U.S. during the nineteenth century. Children were taken from their families and sent to schools to learn English, not allowed to speak their own language or know anything of their original culture. The horrible results of that are still with them today: drugs, alcohol abuse and family dysfunction. Does any of this appear in India?
Sarah Willmann
asked
Alka Joshi:
Hi alka How are you doing? Hope all is well with you. You might have had many questions about this already but do you have a fave character whether you've written Or someone else's character in a book? And is there anything you can tell us fans about your new book six days in Bombay? From Sarah 😀
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Nov 11, 2021 07:23PM · flag