Interview: Ankita Chadha

And today I have on my blog Ankita Chadha, author of Anything Else But Love which is I reviewed a few days ago. Welcome, Ankita!

1. I'd like to begin this interview by asking you what kind of books are there on your bookshelf? What books are you reading right now? Which genre of books do you generally read? Which books do you re-read again and again?

Thank you Sakhi for interviewing me!

My bookshelf is filled with numerous philosophy books (Mostly written by Osho), and romance books. ‘The mystic rose’ written by Osho is my favourite.

I am currently reading ‘The devil and miss prym’ by Paulo Coelho.

I generally read philosophy and romance. And even though I love philosophy, it is romance I mostly pick.

Any book that touches my heart and leaves me with a wow feeling is re-read by me, not once, but as many times I want to. I have re-read Harry Potter series three times till date.  

2. Tell us something about your work before "Anything Else But Love"?

My first work is ‘Little things in life’, a book based on philosophy. It’s about the journey of a teenage girl who delves into the anonymity of life and wants to understand the depth and the beauty of it.

The book hasn’t been released yet, since much work is pending on it, and I do not plan to release it anytime before one year or so. Hence, ‘Anything else but love’ remains my debut novel.

3. Did you always want to be a writer? How did you get into writing? What inspired you to write "Anything Else But Love"?

A person never becomes a writer – either he is, by default, or he is not. He only becomes aware of his writing ability. And I was aware since my school days. I wrote poems mostly, and it was in my ninth standard that I first thought of writing a novel.

Around ten months ago I was working on some other book, when I saw this dream.  A couple was dressed in white, and there was radiating whiteness around them, almost celestial. They were at some workplace, and the guy was standing close to this simple traditional girl, resting his face near her ear, muttering something. And the girl was blushing incessantly. I could in fact see her going beetroot red, and the guy adoring his blushing beauty with a plastered smiled etched across his face. Then the dream ended.

I was so determined then. I knew that no matter what, this is the love story I have to write, because you don’t get to see such eternal, beautiful, and ethereal couples anymore.

4. What kind of people do you think this book will reach out to?

People who still believe in a kind of romance where you enter into a timeless zone, you lose yourself to a person, only to never get yourself back again. You do not walk anymore; rather bounce with each step that you take. Everything around you becomes infinitely slow, beautiful and divine.

So, anyone who has cherished such emotions, or wants to, will definitely pick up this book.

5. What is your favourite thing about books and reading? How have books made an impact on your life?

The best part about books is that they have the anything-is-possible element in them. Reading makes me forget reality for sometime and I am taken into a whole new world of vividness and imagination. I visit places, cast spells, meet riveting creatures, and engage into all sorts of adventure – all without leaving home at all!

Books have always allowed me to delve into things and emotions I would have otherwise overlooked. They have instilled more patience in me.

6. Quick take. Answer the following with the first words/phrase that comes to your mind, in five words or less:

- Love – an extremely beautiful feeling

- Life – a very precious gift

-  Struggles in love – makes the relationship stronger

- Avi (the character) – an adorable loving soul

- Books – a boon to humanity