There are still some terrible cliches in the presentation of Indian fiction. The lotus flower. The hennaed hands. In mainland Europe, people still slap these images on my books and I go bananas.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I've never yet managed to write a novel which didn't have an Indian central character.
India lends itself well to fictionalization, but ultimately, it all depends on the writer's imagination.
I feel as if I can take Indian stories, make them mine and take them to the world.
I think there is a chance that Indian writers in America will start producing very interesting books in the years to come.
Too much of Indian writing in English, it seemed to me, consisted of middle-class people writing about other middle-class people - and a small slice of life being passed off as an authentic portrait of the country.
My mother was a children's librarian. I remember when traditional stories were revised for modern audiences until they bore only a nodding acquaintance with the originals, but were released as 'authentic Indian stories' when they were, in fact, nothing of the kind.
There's an explosion of Indian fiction of all kinds, from military thrillers to chicklit. I think that's exciting.
Some Indians will come up and say that a story reminded them of something very specific to their experience. Which may or may not be the case for non-Indians.
If you write a lovely story about India, you're criticized for selling an exotic version of India. And if you write critically about India, you're seen as portraying it in a negative light - it also seems to be a popular way to present India, sort of mangoes and beggars.
I write on sacred stories, symbols and rituals of all cultures - European, American and Chinese - but my audiences, typically, like me to focus on India.
No opposing quotes found.