reading habit
Words With Samit Basu
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, Samit Basu, author of ‘Chosen Spirits’, tells us why he doesn’t like Charles Dickens, and more.
Which fictional character would you like to switch lives with?
Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, unless it’s an attached condition that I also have to be unnecessarily broody all the time. If I'm allowed to choose from my own work, then Tia from ‘Turbulence’ and ‘Resistance’.
A book that’s overhyped, according to you.
Single out one book in all of history? Fine. Anything by Charles Dickens, because he was a genocidal racist.
An author you’re envious of.
Any author who’s got access to whatever interesting work they feel like doing next, and lives in a country where freedoms are intact. I’m envious of people’s opportunities, never of their talent.
Which elements of the writing craft do you think are your strong suit?
I think improvement in every element of the writing craft is not only possible but also necessary throughout one’s writing career. I like my own writing, but part of the desire to write more books (and work across genres and media) is the urge to learn.
What is the one word you’d like to erase from your vocabulary?
USP
Picks for the week
Here’s a round-up of some of our favourite literary releases, events and recommendations for you to delve into this week.
- The Death Script: Ashutosh Bhardwaj pens the harrowing but very real story of Dandakaranya against the backdrop of the Maoist insurgency, the atrocities committed in the area, and the people caught in the crossfire. (June 25, 2020)
- Megha Majumdar, author of ‘A Burning’, talks about writing and resistance in the upcoming session of JLF’s Brave New World. Talk scheduled for 7.00 pm on June 26, 2020. Watch it here.
- Want to get your Pride on and read books about the LGBTQIA+ community? We recommend reading ‘Mohanaswamy’, ‘Cobalt Blue’, ‘Funny Boy’, ‘Oracle Bone’, and ‘Blue Is The Warmest Color’ to celebrate Pride month in all its glory.
- Looking for more? Check out this list of LGBTQIA+ books by Indian authors.
- June is also Audiobook Month. If you’re looking for a new way to experience books, we recommend giving ‘Norse Mythology’, ‘A Suitable Boy’, ‘The Body’, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’, and ‘Inglorious Empire’ a try. Hooked and craving more? You can find free audiobooks here.
- Carlos Ruiz Zafón, author of ‘The Shadow Of The Wind’, who passed away on June 19, could not have summed up books any better than this: “Every book, every volume you see, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and the soul of those who read it and lived it and dreamed about it.”
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