She is a writer, poet and a contemporary dancer. Tishani Doshi, who won the Forward Poetry Prize for her collection of poetry, Countries of the Body, is back with her debut novel, The Pleasure Seekers.
She is a writer, poet and a contemporary dancer. Tishani Doshi, who won the Forward Poetry Prize for her collection of poetry, Countries of the Body, is back with her debut novel, The Pleasure Seekers.
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Described by novelist Salman Rushdie as a captivating, delightful novel, it's a tale of identity, family, belonging and all transcending love. Tishani chats with CS:
Homecoming queen
This is the story of a young man, Babo, who comes to London and falls in love with a Welsh girl. Later, the two return to India with the family. This story is told from the point of view of the Welsh girl, who leaves her home and culture behind to settle in India. It deals with the idea of a home something that is important to each of us. And when you have lived abroad for a considerable period of time, the idea of home becomes all the more important.
Family first
I am pleased with the fantastic reviews I have received for this book. A lot of time and effort has gone into this novel. As a writer, you write only for yourself so it feels great when regular people can connect with your characters and give you feedback. A bit of The Pleasure Seekers is autobiographical. It is based on the love story of my parents but it's not a memoir. The affair between them is just the starting point for this book.u00a0
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My favourites
As a kid, I loved the Enid Blyton series but it was The Magic Faraway Tree that sparked my imagination as a writer. Though I have never studied literature seriously, I try to keep abreast with Indian, English and Russian contemporary literature. I also read a lot of poetry. Some of my favourite authors include Toni Morrison, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, JM Coetzee, WS Merwin and Anita Desai.
I feel that the publishing industry has undergone a vast change in the past five years or so. It was tough for young writers to find publishers in India but that scene has changed now. People are telling all kinds of stories and it looks very exciting.u00a0
Dance and desk
My dancing complements the writer in me. Though both are creative fields, they are totally different. Writing is a very lonely, sedentary job while dancing is full of physical energy, engaging with musicians and a lot of rigorous practise. They balance each other really well.
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