Watch : In conversation with Nandita Bose – The ABCs

The ABCs is a YouTube channel for artists, books, and cafes. We recently met Nandita Bose over coffee and sandwiches at Cafe Zoey’s, Sarjapura Road, and the conversation was as inspiring as the author herself. We got to know the non-author side of Nandita and the things that motivate her. And here, we have for you, excerpts from the conversation which was as delightful as it was insightful.

Interviewer: Nandita, tell us, what inspired you to be an author?

Nandita: I really think I was born to write because from the very beginning, language meant of special interest to me. And also I was a relentless collector of stories and trivia… For me, I explored the world through stories.

Interviewer: So, when you begin writing a book, what is your process, how do you approach it?

Nandita: So, basically I am one of those lazy, old-fashioned writers. I write because I have a thought and I don’t have a very clear arch of the story in my head. I just know a few points and as I go ahead, i sort of fill it in.

Interviewer: Which author or book do you associate with the word ‘honest’?

Nandita: Honest, I think, is Arundhati Roy. I really am a huge admirer and I like the fact that she has brought activism into writing which most of us believe that activism, or having a political statement is a extra-literary pursuit. And she is the one person who has shown us that every artist and every author needs that honesty, that political conviction to be who she is.

Interviewer: What is your favourite vacation view, mountains or beaches?

Nandita: For me, it’s Goa. Goa or any beach area. Mahabalipuram, for example, has become my spiritual home and I keep going back there.

Interviewer: Being a foodie, what is your comfort food?

Nandita: To be honest, any food is comfort food. I don’t think there is a single item of food on Earth that I would not try. And I would love it.

These are just some of the very few aspects of her life which Nandita shared with us and as a reader, fan, and writers, we found her personality as charming as it was motivational. Do watch the entire episode and find out what makes Nandita, the amazing person that she is.