Hello all,
Are you in the mood for an author interview? Yes? Good, because today we are meeting Indian novelist Anjali Roongta.
PB: Hi Anjali! Welcome to pjbermanbooks.com. Tell us a bit about your background.
AR: Hey! I am Anjali Roongta and I come from India. I am a twenty-something studying Liberal Arts and hoping to have a future in research and psychology as well as writing.
PB: What made you decide to become an author?
AR: The fact that when growing up it was books that made me feel like I wasn’t completely alone. The fact that I wanted to share everything I felt and remember with others also helped.
PB: When did you first start writing?
AR: I started writing when I was nine.
PB: What was the first story that you can remember writing?
AR: The first story I remember writing was an adventure story about a bunch of kids stranded on a fantasy island and then the first published work was a fanfiction.
PB: When you begin writing a new story, do you always know the ending?
AR: I usually have some idea of the ending but it changes as the story progresses.
PB: If you could meet any of your characters, who would you meet, and what would you say to them?
AR: I would love to meet Siya and apologise for everything I have put her through and then I would for tips on how to live and be happy with BPD
PB: Tell us about The Diary of a Twenty-Something.
AR: The Diary of a Twenty-Something is now a duo! The first book, A Collection of Teenage Musings, tells the story of Siya’s world. It talks about how she fell into depression, the heart-real and setbacks she suffered, and how she grew out of all the pain. It talks about issues like chronic pain, mental health, teenage angst, growing up, and much more. The second part, A Tryst With Hope, talks about Siya’s intimate journey with healing and acceotance of her pain and disorders.
PB: Where did the idea come from?
AR: The idea came from my novel, Siya, which is about psychological disorders. I wanted to write about Siya from her perspective and how she sees the world.
PB: Of all your achievements, which are you most proud of?
AR: Finishing the first draft of my novel, Siya.
PB: What is your favourite book series to read and why?
AR: I will be torn between Harry Potter and the Infernal Devices. Harry Potter is close to my heart as it introduced me to this whole world that I have never been able to leave since. It has shaped a lot of my personality and beliefs. The Infernal Devices I love because of the Victorian setting, the liberal mention of poetry and the characters whom I have fallen for.
PB: What are your long term ambitions with regards to writing?
AR: I want to continue writing, sometimes for pleasure and sometimes for work. I want my words to give people a voice and help them understand each other better.
PB: If you weren’t an author, what career would you be in?
AR: Psychologist
PB: What’s the next target for you?
AR: I want to finish my novel, Siya, and then write something light hearted.
PB: Tell is about your upcoming anthology. AR: Our upcoming anthology is called Realizations in Quarantine. It is a very personal poetric account of how quarantine affected us. It talks about food, philosophy, longing, beauty, and much more. The fact that the book talks about such lofty ideas also highlights how differently the quarantine affected the different strata of the society and how ours was among the better off ones. The book has wonderful art in it as well as personal musings. It was Co-written with Adrika Roy, Pen Dragon, Dibya Patranabish, and Arpita Maji. The art was created by Aditii T, Shubhr Aakriti, Sohom Banerjee and Mullberry Grafiti. PB: What’s is like writing as part of a group of authors? AR: Working as a group is exciting and tiring. There are a lot of ideas that compliment and clash with each other. It requires patience but brings a lot of happy memories and teaches one management skills.
PB: Tell us a random fact about yourself.
AR: I ship Throin and Bilbo in the Hobbit fandom.
Well, thank you to Anjali Roongta for a most insightful interview! If you would like to try her work for yourself, you can do so via these links: