reading habit
Words With Anukrti Upadhyay
Each month, The Curious Reader will bring a short, snappy and fun interview with an author to give you a quick peek into their reading and writing habits. This week, Anukrti Upadhyay, author of Kintsugi, tells us why she loves Badger and dislikes the word hate.
Which fictional character would you like to switch lives with?
With the Badger, from The Wind In The Willows. He gets to sleep a lot and is considered to be very wise.
An author you’re envious of.
All of them! Every author has points I envy or wish to learn from. But if I had to pick one, I’d say Toni Morrison for the sheer power of her writing and the crystal-clear pain it conveys.
A book that’s overhyped, according to you.
Not a book, specifically, but I do feel Amrita Pritam’s poetry tends to be overhyped on account of the bold choices she made in her personal life (choices that I absolutely respect).
What is the one word you’d like to erase from your vocabulary?
Hate. It is a negative, violent, and ugly word that sucks all life and energy when uttered.
What elements of the writing craft are your strong suit? What would you like to be better at?
I feel like I have to better every part of my craft—scene-setting, descriptions, dialogues, everything! But the one thing I’d really like to learn is how to plot and plan books since I tend to write intuitively. I’d love to become more organised while planning my writing.
Read an excerpt from Anukrti’s latest book, Kintsugi, here.
Books Releasing This Week
- What We Carry: Maya Shanbhag Lang’s relationship with her mother is put to test when the latter begins to divulge long lost secrets after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Incredibly moving and raw, this memoir portrays the mother-daughter relationship in its purest form. (August 31, 2020)
- Who They Was: Longlisted for this year's Booker Prize, Gabriel Krauze’s debut novel is an autofiction about the violent life of a young man from a Polish immigrant family who spends his time hanging around London gangs and mugging people. (August 31, 2020)
- Intimations: This intimate collection of essays by Zadie Smith discusses subjects like police brutality, economic injustice and life in lockdown, making it a deeply personal and powerful statement on some of the most pressing issues of our time. (September 1, 2020)
- How To Lead: Want to learn about the lives and experiences of leaders and changemakers like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Bill Gates, Yo-Yo Ma, and others? Then David Rubenstein's book is the perfect read for you. (September 1, 2020)
- The Silent Treatment: Frank and Maggie have been married for forty years and come across as a happy, loving couple. However, they haven’t spoken to each other for six months. What happens when Maggie collapses and is put in a medically induced coma? Read Abbie Greaves’ moving debut novel to find out. (September 1, 2020)
We are also excited to get our hands on Unrequited and The New Wilderness.
P.S.: This is our last Reading Habit for splainer. We’d like to thank all of you for reading us, and we hope you’ve enjoyed our literary curation.
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