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| Saiswaroopa Iyer, Author AVISHI ABHAYA |
Saiswaroopa Iyer’s novel, AVISHI has been described by
reviewers as “Great fiction set in early days of Indian civilization” and “an
out and out thriller” that is “gripping.” She writes her novels to remind us of
our past and claims that “My characters drive me to write.” Although a novel set in the past, she researched the setting to assure accuracy from a “civilizational
aspect.” She also believes the themes and story are universal even though set
in India.
Formerly an analyst at a venture capital firm, Iyer today
lives in London where she enjoys writing her novels. She enjoys traveling,
especially to locations that are of historical interest. She is currently writing
a sequel to her first novel, ABHAYA.
Q: What inspired you
to write about and re-imagine Vishpala of the Rig Ved in your book AVISHI?
Saiswaroopa Iyer:
I stumbled upon Vishpala, mentioned in the Rig Veda when I was searching for
ancient women warriors of India. According to Rig Veda, Vishpala loses her leg
in a nocturnal battle and is granted a metal leg by Ashvinas, the divine
physicians. The hymn mentioning her is also the very first reference to
prosthesis in world literature. A bit more of reading about the Rig Vedic
society revealed a very egalitarian ancient civilization
which I felt should stay fresh in the modern mind trying to find solutions for
the various problems we face today. Avishi is a humble attempt in reimagining
that world with an inspiringly strong woman at the helm.
Q: How do you make
your characters credible? Why will your readers care about what happens to
them?
Saiswaroopa Iyer:
My characters drive me to write. They are driven by their goals which compels
me to write about them, draw inspiration from them, seek answers from them and
take up the challenges they pose me. I think this is the combination that makes
them stay alive through the writing process and write their own story. I
strongly believe that lively characters have their own way of making the
readers root for them, hate them, love them and form that kinship with them as
they progress through the book.
Q: How important was
historical accuracy and setting to tell your story?
Saiswaroopa Iyer:
Setting of the story requires a lot of accuracy from civilizational aspect. The
tools, lifestyle, social constructs, etc matter a lot in the process of world
creation. That does not mean that we don’t have creative liberty. But honest
research into facts will also help in channelizing and deploying creative
liberty effectively. For eg, I was able to imagine an ancient society where
marital constructs were not yet defined only after an examination of evolution
of wedlock as an institution.
Q: Although your book is set in India, do
you believe that the message and story are universal?
Saiswaroopa Iyer:
Every message of Rig Veda (and the rest of Vedas too) is universal. I love
India. But the very charm of India starting right from the dawn of civilization
has been that the Indic thought keeps universal wellness ahead. While the
civilizational aspects might seem intriguing to a western reader, I believe
there is something for everyone to connect.
Q: Does the concept
of hero versus villain apply to AVISHI? What are the characteristics of an
effective villain?
Saiswaroopa Iyer:
An interesting question. I believe any story that seeks to grip the reader
attention needs these two poles. What
makes a hero and what makes a villain (and what makes the rest)? I believe it
is the series of choices one makes through the course of their journey and how
they face conflicts, deal with the intrigues of fate, make tough choices.
Q: Did you write
AVISHI strictly to entertain or did you embed some key messages or themes to
deliver to your readers?
Saiswaroopa Iyer:
I wrote Avishi to mainly invoke the civilizational past, which I hope will help
us in remembering the civilizational past and connecting to our strong willed
ancestors. As for delivering messages, I leave it to my characters and my
readers to gather their own meanings J
Q: One reviewer calls
your book “gripping.” How do you create suspense to cause your readers to want
to turn the pages?
Saiswaroopa Iyer:
Thank you for going through the reviews! Pace and tautness is something that we
writers learn in our own journey of writing. It comes from practice and
self-critiquing asking ourselves every now and then, “does this
sentence/paragraph/page prod the reader to go to the next?” or “Does this leave
the reader with sufficient intrigue to get back?” I admit it is not easy. But
doable and exciting!
Q: What caused you to
switch careers from investment analyst to writing?
Saiswaroopa Iyer:
Writing (Storytelling to be specific) was something I always had in mind. For
many years my day job did not leave me enough bandwidth to pursue it full time.
But my move to London a couple of years back made it amenable to me to pursue
writing and also learn about publishing industry.
Q: What’s next?
Saiswaroopa Iyer:
I am writing the sequel to my first novel ABHAYA, temporarily titled as Daughter
of Mura. It is the story of a young girl who briefly appears in Abhaya but will
have adventures of her own in the upcoming book. It would be a standalone
novella but set in the ‘Abhaya universe’.
Q: Tell us about Saiswaroopa
Iyer. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Saiswaroopa Iyer:
Read and listen to lecture series on topics of my interest. I love travelling
and visiting places of historical importance. I love to spend quality time with
my family.
About Saiswaroopa Iyer
Formerly an analyst with a Venture capital
firm, Saiswaroopa's interests include Startups, Economics, Carnatic Music,
Philosophy, Politics, History and Literature of India. She won a state level
gold medal from TTD in rendering Annamacharya Kritis. She holds an MBA from Indian
Institute of Technology Kharagpur.
About AVISHI
Long
before the times of Draupadi and Sita
Immortalised in the hymns of Rig Veda
But forgotten to the memory of India
The Warrior Queen with an iron leg, Vishpala
Immortalised in the hymns of Rig Veda
But forgotten to the memory of India
The Warrior Queen with an iron leg, Vishpala
Brought up in the pristine forest school of Naimisha,
Avishi reaches the republic of Ashtagani in
Separated from her love, her settlement broken, with a
brutal injury needing amputation of her leg, can Avishi overcome Khela?
If stories about ancient India, especially those with strong women characters interest you, then Avishi is a story you must read!
If stories about ancient India, especially those with strong women characters interest you, then Avishi is a story you must read!
Links
Twitter address - @Sai_swaroopa
Thanks for posting the interview Joyce :-)
ReplyDeleteI would love to sit under a tree at a lake or river and share a bottle of wine.
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