Interview with author Meghna Pant

A financial journalist by day and a writer by night, Meghna Pant is the editor of a business magazine. She has formerly worked as a TV anchor for NDTV Profit and Bloomberg-UTV. Her short stories have been published in over a dozen literary magazines, across four countries.

One and a Half Wife - Meghna’s debut novel - has been long listed for the Cinnamon Press Novel Writing Award, selected as a top ten finalists in Word Hustler’s Literary Storm Novel Contest, and made it to the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

In a conversation with ReadIn Park, Meghna Pant speaks about herself, her life and her experiences in the literary field.

Congratulations Meghna for the success of your debut novel “One and a Half Wife”. How are you feeling?

Honored, humbled. Still a little breathless. 

Tell us in brief about the story for our readers?

‘One & A Half Wife’ is a prism that captures the social realities of our time. It examines the long-standing Indian desire to live in the US, while portraying the struggles of an immigrant family’s so-imagined American Dream and the moral cocoon in which Indian Americans live. It highlights the trend of reverse immigration, increased divorces, single parenthood, old India vs. new India, domestic violence, political muscle, all of which are forging new identities in India. The background score is the call of the homeland and a search for one’s identity.

The story line of your novel is based on complex issues of modern society like divorce, remarriage, etc. What motivates you to write this particular story?

If you put a frog in cold water and heat it slowly it won't notice, and before you know it you have a boiled frog. This is a similar case in India where a new way of thinking has slowly permeated into people’s mindset. This story captures some of these social realities.

When did you start writing? And, how long did it take you to complete writing the book?

Fiction writing is the understanding of your life story and using it as a vessel to interpret your world, the people in it, the emotions and experiences. These things are the essence of my fiction: the place where society and the individual intersect.

I have never quite known why or when I started writing, but writing helps me make sense of the world I live in. The book took one year to finish – a very manic consuming year.

Why did you choose the title “One and a Half Wife” for your book? 

The title ‘One & A Half Wife’ meshes together the two main sub-plots of the novel. The story hinges on the revelation of what a one-and-a-half wife is. Since the narrative leads to and from there, I don’t want to spoil the reader’s experience by divulging what it is. Best it remains a surprise.

How is writing a short story different to writing a novel?

Short stories are like a date, while novels are like a marriage. My short stories typically capture a singular emotion, an intense experience, much like the everyday instances we hear about other people that unwittingly reveal so much about them. Novels, on the other hand, capture a character in so many different moods and diverse experiences, that you feel like you know the person. Therefore, most short stories leave me with a gripping emotion, a realisation of myself, while most novels make me feel like I’ve made a new friend, been part of a new family.

Ultimately though, writing is writing, and what really matters is whether you can tell a good story, regardless of it’s length.

Tell us how much Meghna Pant is similar to protagonist Amara Malhotra?

Far from it, though I’m sure my mother wishes I possessed Amara’s docility. As a writer it would’ve been easier to write about a character whom I was acquainted with. This is why most novels, at least first novels, are autobiographical in nature. But I don’t want to become a navel-gazer who can venture only into her own familiarity. I want to challenge my imagination and creativity, and test their limitless possibility. So Amara had to be someone whose world I could enter only with a lot of delicacy and study.

What kind of responses you are getting from media and readers?

Most people have written in from around India saying that they loved the novel and it is very well written, and this – thankfully – includes the media. The most common reaction has been: “I couldn’t put it down and skipped sleep/the Euro Cup/work/ my bus stop/ the IPL to finish reading it.”

You can’t imagine how humbling and satisfying it is to hear this. 

Tell us about your future plans? Do you have any other books in the pipeline? If yes, what is it all about?

My collection of short stories is ready for publication. I am also in the early stages of writing my second full-length novel based in – and between – India and China. It is a dark comedy that portrays a family’s greed, lust and power, in the wake of geopolitical tension.

Where do you see yourself ten years down the line?  Do you have any plan to become full time author?

I don't plan things, but so long as life is inspiring I’ll keep on writing. As for being a full-time author, that’s a luxury I hope I can one day afford.

How has your experience been so far in the literary world? 

It’s nothing like I imagined and yet so much more. The recognition, respect and comradeship I’ve received are much beyond my expectations. On the other hand, I have to admit that I’m quite dismayed by the commodification of literature over the last few years. Being an author is no longer about how well you write or how strong your narrative style is, but how many followers you can get on Twitter, the price point of your book and the likes you can get on Facebook. Many ‘authors’ have told me that they spend more time tweeting than writing, as they believe this alone boosts their sales!

Can you share your experiences with the publisher? 

I’d give full credit to my publisher Westland and the first person to read the book, my editor Prita Maitra, who immediately fell in love with my novel. I believe that success can be achieved only if talent is recognized, and it’s heartening to see that credible Indian authors are being given that vital break by excellent publishing houses.

 Apart from writing, what interests you most? What you do in free time when you are writing?

A book may be the best way to travel without moving your feet, but ever so often I like to use my feet. On the advice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I try to see a new country each year. I think that to be able to sit down and write about the world, it’s crucial to first stand up and see what’s out there.

 Please share your awards and achievements in your professional life as a business writer/ journalist/novelist? 

One & A Half Wife was selected a quarter finalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, longlisted for the Cinnamon Press Novel Writing Award, and a top ten finalist in WordHustler’s Literary Storm Novel Contest. Recently it was also shortlisted for the Muse India Young Writer Award. The novel has also gone into multiple reprints, been on the bestseller list in many bookstores, and featured on the coveted AC Nielsen Top Indian Fiction list.

What kind of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors?

As a child I read a lot of Enid Blyton, Sidney Sheldon, Jeffery Archer, Somerset Maugham, Ruskin Bond, Shakespeare and RK Narayan, the typical fare for Indian children growing up in the 80s-90s. Gone With The Wind was the first book I stayed up till six in the morning reading, and till today I don’t think there is a book as perfect as that or a character as finely etched out as Scarlett O’Hara. Margaret’s largesse is inimitable. In recent years I’ve enjoyed reading Rohinton Mistry, Leon Uris, Aravind Adiga, Alice Munro, Kamila Shamsie, Manil Suri, among others.

What would you advice budding authors?

Write what you’d like to read.

Any message for readers of “Read In Park”?

Go get your copy of ‘One & A Half Wife’

 

Thanks a ton, Meghna for such a pleasant meeting. Wishing you all the best for upcoming novels.