Follow-up Interview with Children's Novelist
Kashmira Sheth (2006)
by Debbi Michiko Florence
What have you been working on since we last chatted?
In 2005, I worked on my novel Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet that was published by Hyperion this April. For the last few months I’ve been doing author visits to schools, libraries and holding book signings at book stores. I’ve also made some last minute revisions on a picture book that will be out in March, 2007 (Peachtree).
For the last few weeks I’ve been revising my third novel, Keeping Corner. It will be published by Hyperion next year.
Your newest novel, KOYAL DARK, MANGO SWEET, is about an Indian girl in Mumbai who is caught up in the arranged marriages of her older sisters. She starts to question the traditions her family follows, especially when she meets a certain boy. The details you infuse in
this story are lush. How much research did you do for this story? How much comes from your own experiences?
Since I spent almost ten years of my childhood in Mumbai, I drew a lot from my own experiences. I do visit Mumbai often and this has helped me keep the vibrancy of the city and the nuances of culture alive for me. Some research definitely played a part. The Hanging Gardens are featured in my book and when I visited them a couple of years ago I noticed the cannon-ball tree, their fragrant flowers and large fruits. I included them in my story because they are so unique and made the park stand out from the rest of the parks I had visited anywhere else in the world. I also had help from my mom who lived in Mumbai for many years and also from friends who live in Mumbai now.
How is KOYAL DARK, MANGO SWEET similar to your first novel, BLUE JASMINE? How is it different?
Blue Jasmine was based on my own experience of immigrating to the USA so I really identified with Seema and her struggles. With Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet I started not with a story but with a location, Mumbai. I created the protagonist, Jeeta, out of my imagination, but she had such a strong personality from the very beginning that she took over completely. I enjoyed her and the story she told me.
What about the process of writing both novels? Similarities? Differences?
Since both are contemporary novels the writing process was quite similar. I did a lot of revision and worked on so many drafts that I have lost count.
One difference was that I knew Seema (Blue Jasmine) and her family well and so it was easy to write about their actions and feelings. Jeeta’s family (Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet) is very different than mine and it was harder to understand various characters in the story, mainly, Jeeta’s Mummy and her two older sisters, Nimita and Mohini.
What's the best thing that's happened in the last year?
My older daughter got married!
Any disappointments?
Nothing comes to mind except rabbits eating my plants. But that happens every year so I should be used to it.
Do you work on one project at a time? Or many at once?
Usually many at once until I have a deadline and want to finish something. Then, I concentrate on one project for many days or months.
Do you have a ritual you follow before you're able to settle down to work for the day? What is it?
I do yoga or go for a walk before I write. If there is no snow on the ground I take a walk in the garden and sometimes work in it before I start writing.
What's the best advice you were ever given, and by whom?
The best advice was given by my mother: she said to get up early and get work done first so you can enjoy the rest of the day. My mother never followed her own advice and I haven’t been able to follow it either but it is great advice.
Seriously, as a writer the best advice is to listen to suggestions from your critique group members, your agent and most importantly from your editor. Don’t be afraid to slash things that are not working, rewrite the passages that are not polished and then put it away for a while. It is incredible how much insight my editors at Hyperion and Peachtree have and how much they’ve helped me bring my books into sharp focus.
What can fans look forward to next?
My next novel is called Keeping Corner and is a based on my great aunt’s life. She was widowed at the age of eleven. The story is a historical fiction but has many details from my aunt’s life. It has been an incredible experience to work on it.
Any other news you'd like to share?
I am very excited about my picture book. It is a story about grandmother and granddaughters and passing on cultural identity from one generation to another. The illustrations are done by Yoshiko Jaeggi and they are beautiful beyond my dreams! For both of us this will be our first picture book and I just found out that she will be illustrating my second picture book too. It will be published by Peachtree in 2008.
I’ve a website now: www.kashmirasheth.com. There is more information about my books as well as other related topics on it.
Follow-up Interview © August, 2006, by Debbi Michiko Florence.
See also my earlier interview with Kashmira, in 2005.
Contents © 2001-2009 by Debbi Michiko Florence. All rights reserved.
Site Design by Lisa Firke | Hit Those Keys. Back to top.