The Youth Whisperer
Nandini Bajpai has received rave reviews from industry trade publications for her novels that are a hybrid of both desi and American experiences. Writing for young adults is a challenge, but Bajpai has found her niche. Her latest novel is called A Match Made in Mehendi (Little, Brown).
What got you interested in writing books for
children?
I loved reading when I was a child and I think that’s
where it started. If you have read Enid Blyton’s books,
too, you might remember that her signature was on every
book cover, and though there was no author photograph
that signature made her very real as a person in
my mind. I dreamt of having books with my name on
them one day—books about kids I could identify with
instead of British kids doing British things. Then I grew
up and that dream faded away. But when I had my own
children and tried to find books that they could relate
to, I realized that nothing had changed and there were
still no quality books that reflected Indian or Indian-
American children and their worldview and culture.
So I tried to be the change that I wanted to see in the
world, and write books for kids.
How difficult is it to write for a YA audience?
This is a tricky age group to write for. You can’t
preach or moralize to them or sugarcoat reality.
You have to try and be honest and write things as
you actually see them. And yet, I also don’t believe in
writing books with too many issues or unnecessary
suffering. An optimistic and hopeful arc that also
reflects reality is very necessary in books for young
adults, and that is what I strive for.
What are the biggest challenges and rewards in
writing for children and teens?
The biggest challenge in writing contemporary YA
is to stay in touch with the times when you are obviously
not the same age as your characters. Of course
people write horror and thrillers and science fiction
without being aliens and serial killers, so it’s doable, but
it takes research and empathy and a good group of beta
readers who can call out mistakes. The biggest reward
is to hear back from readers that have loved your books.
How do your books retain the touch of "Indianness"
while also being American in essence? It's a
tough balancing act to execute.
Well, you have to write from your lived experience
and not edit out desi things that are part of your
day-to-day just because they may not be part of mainstream
American culture. I think there is no one proper
way to write “Indianness” as there are many different
versions of it, and some people are more assimilated
and others less so without
either being less valid.
I can only try and put
in what I have seen and
experienced firsthand
and hope that resonates
and helps normalize
the rich culture we’ve
brought to the country.
What advice would
you give to aspiring
writers who want to
follow your path?
I would advise them
to read, read, read widely.
And when they’ve read
a lot then to write, and
keep writing even when
the writing feels like rubbish. It gets better. Finally, get
a critique group and get feedback and learn to revise.
Reading, writing, and revising is how one becomes
a writer. Then it takes a lot of patience because usually
(though not always) there is a lot of waiting and
rejection in the journey to get published. And I’d always
advise aspiring writers to write from their own life
experience as that is something only they can do.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I love animals and I spend a lot of time with my
pets. I also like nature, so walking my dog outdoors in
the woods is something I really enjoy, and it also gives
me the headspace to come up with story ideas. I love
reading all kinds of different genres from nonfiction,
especially history, to science fiction. I also love hanging
out in libraries and bookstores and talking to kids.
Poornima Apte is an award-winning writer and editor. Find her on Twitter @ booksnfreshair.
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