Sutapa is well-known for her best-selling historical fiction, Padmavati, The Queen Tells Her Own Story published in 2017 by Readomania Publishers. Her second historical fiction initiated the Invader Series with The Legend of Genghis Khan was published in 2018 by Readomania Publishers and continued with The Curse of Nader Shah was published in 2019 by Readomania Publishers.Sutapa’s short stories have appeared in anthologies, Crossed & Knotted, Defiant Dreams When They Spoke and Write India Stories. Her poems have been published in Muse India, Kaafiyana, The Dawn Beyond Waste and The Remnants of Loss. Let’s know about her in conversation with Dr Preeti Talwar.
PT- How did you start writing, was it in your genes or during childhood or after reaching adulthood?
SB- Well, I did have a grand uncle who was very well-known as a poet. Since the age of seven, I used to write scripts for plays that we staged at home. I have always been writing poems and stories something or other throughout my teenage years and even after marriage while raising a family. I have been writing but never thought that it was worth it. So, it was only in 2014 that I decided to publish my work. I was working at that time with the publishing house Encyclopedia Britannica. And I just decided to drop my corporate career and continue writing. Everyone felt I was crazy to leave a cushy job.
It was at this juncture the Write India campaign happened. And I submitted my story like so many others, and to my utter surprise, my name was announced as the Winner. I never believed it until the Times of India people got in touch with me and confirmed the news. That was the turning point in my life.
Soon I found a publisher called Readomania, and they to published my first book which was Dangle. a psychological thriller. So, my romance with writing started and is still going strong day by day.
PT: After winning the “Write India” campaign you became a celebrity overnight. How did you handle the celebrity status?
SB: I was delighted and it boosted my confidence. The Times of India gave a very good platform to all writers who were the winners.,
PT: Write India campaign was the kickstart and you started pursuing your calling…
SB-Absolutely because from Oxford I shifted to Britannica where I started the vertical for educational publishing. Britannica didn’t have any educational publishing.
PT: -Did you get an epiphany to chuck away a well-paying job?
SB: While I was working I had to commute from Delhi to Dwarka. It was a long distance and I used to think a lot during that time. Both stories and poems popped into my head and on reaching the workplace I would be at the laptop typing the stories lest I may forget. That is when I decided to quit my job and focus on writing.
PT: What seems to have attracted you to history so much?
SB: Nothing is past. Nothing is dead. History lives in the present. Every event has its roots in something that has happened in the past. And to understand the present, to understand what is happening to us or our environment, that is why one of the reasons why this history has always attracted me and I chose Padmavati. I loved her extraordinary character, personality, determination, and courage.
PT–. Most of your novels are set in Kolkata, why?
SB: My in-laws stayed in Kolkata and I spent 3 months there. I got fascinated by mansions built during the British regime. I would wonder about the stories that these mansions could tell us. So, it was all the time there in my mind and I wrote a thriller with a mansion as the protagonist.
Interview by: Dr., Preeti Talwar
Author’s bio: Preeti is a doctorate by profession and a writer by passion. She has donned several hats. She has worked as a UGC Research Associate, Freelance Proofreader with a publishing house, Eduadvisor for Urban Campus and Disciple Bay, Content writer and Content Strategist for several startups and a moderator for chat shows. Her penchant towards writing has helped her achieve laurels in that field. She is well-published in both print and digital media. She has publications on national and international platforms.
