Love and Lokpal – An interview with Pooja Wanpal
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- Love and Lokpal book cover
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- Pooja Wanpal
Congratulations on debuting as a novelist Pooja. Your debut book brings a very interesting combination of politics and love; what was the inspiration? What did you learn from writing the book?
Thank you. The 2011 Lokpal Bill movement was, in many ways, a turning point for me. I had begun my FYBA and I was reading classics and tomes about Indian history. I was writing about politics in India. I was immersed in a world where the need for change was glaring – I could see that, but I did not know how to bring about this change. The Lokpal Bill movement started around that time. It was love at first sight for me.The crowds, the energy – I loved the atmosphere.
What was the most challenging aspect of writing Love and Lokpal?
The most challenging aspect was definitely the research part. I had to read scores of books about the Lokpal Bill, peruse newspapers and read the editorials.It was when I started plastering my walls with pamphlets regarding the movement, my parents became very worried. But when they learned that I was writing a book, they were gobsmacked. But on a serious note, the research was very interesting and I enjoyed it.
When did the writing bug get to you?
I have been writing for years. I started off with short stories and poems, small non-fiction articles and gradually I started writing longer fiction.
Tell us about your journey from manuscript to publishing. How did it all happen? Tell us; were there any glitches in your journey?
It took me the better part of a year to write the novel. I knew what I wanted, but the transition of ideas onto the paper took some time. Once the manuscript was finished, I edited it and sent it to my friend, Harsh Agarwal, who runs a literary agency, The Asylum. He took the manuscript to the publishers and it was accepted by Paper Clip Books.
Tell us about your favorite – Book/ Author Genre.
You know what they say – asking a bookworm to choose her favorite book is like asking a mother to choose a favorite child. But if I do have to name a few books, they would be Pride and Prejudice and ‘The Yearling’, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. ‘They Yearling’ is a story of the transition of a boy into manhood and remains one of the most beautiful novels I have ever read. I adore the Harry Potter series (who doesn’t?) and of course, the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Apart from writing, what else do you do currently?
Apart from writing, I agonize over the lives of fictional characters. Though I would like to confine my entire life to these two pursuits, I also study economics at Fergusson College, try to learn Spanish and participate in the dhol-tasha groups during Ganeshotsav.
Tell us more about Pooja the traveller, and your inspiration for travel.
Travelling, I believe is one of the best way to free your mind. There is an art to it, which requires full surrender to the experience. Otherwise, travelling will just be looking at places. I started trekking in school, and soon I fell in love with the craggy Sahyadris and the beautiful forts.
You’re known to be an avid trekker and traveller. Any favourite destination?
Sinhagad, without a doubt. Being a Punekar, I am required to have a fierce pride about the fort. And indeed, it is one of the most beautiful places in the world for me. But I also love the Himalayas. They are fierce, majestic and they give an awareness of self that cannot be found elsewhere on earth.
Has travel influenced your writing in any way? Do you see yourself combining your passion for writing and travel at a later date?
I believe so. The part in the novel, which is based in Delhi came entirely out of my perception of Delhi when I had been there some time ago. I don’t know, maybe. I love to write about places I have been to, and I think I will definitely enjoy going to new places for the express purpose of writing about them.
What’s your advice for newbie writers.
Keep writing, that is all I can say.
What is next on the literary front?
I keep writing all the time. And I am quite sure that I will be writing till I have nothing left to say, which is quite possibly, never. My friends shudder at the thought that I will never shut up. With friends, being laconic has never been my forte.
What’s next in life, post college?
I don’t know. I keep hoping that an epiphany will strike me, but I do know that it will be something related to writing.
