AUTHOR’S BIO :
A dentist by profession, Husna is a published author and poet with a PG diploma in journalism as well.
She is an avid traveller and photography enthusiast. She uses travel experiences and cultural immersion as an inspiration for her stories. Her fiction and poems often explore the human condition and its intersectionality, as a way of reimagining a more righteous world.
She has worked closely in relief assistance during the 2018 floods in Kerala, which has been an inspiration behind Red River Rising.
1. Who and what inspired you to write?
I was always an avid reader. I had begun reading at the age of 4 and fiction by age 10. Authors like Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott and Charlotte Bronte made me curious as a child about the world outside my own. And then writers like Tolstoy, Dickens and Eliott furthered that curiosity. Writers like Rushdie, Roy and Phamuk lit the spark. Writers are often asked how we write certain stories. But the truth is, stories come to us, like an epiphany. We are just the medium.
2. What challenges did you face while writing and getting published?
Writing was never a challenge. Except for the occasional mind block, most often plots have a way of working themselves out. The biggest challenge was getting published. It was an endless cycle of sending email proposals that eventually get rejected or ignored. Thousands of writers and a dozen publishers. The ratio is totally skewed. This I feel is the biggest challenge facing writers.
3. How did you come to know about the literary agency THE BOOK BAKERS?
I was frustrated after knocking on several doors when I finished my first novel, only to be let down time and time again. That was when I decided I needed representation. At that time, there were only a handful of literary agents in India. After doing a bit of research, I zeroed in on The Book Bakers. I liked their work philosophy. Rest as they say is history.
4. How did THE BOOK BAKERS help you and what would you like to say about them?
It just took Suhail Mathur of The Book Bakers, a couple of months after I had sent the manuscript, to get accepted by Rupa Publishers. That was like a dream come true. He believed in my work and was convinced the novel was meant to go places. I am still awaiting its launch. My 2nd novel, Red River Rising with Locksley Hall Publishing was launched on Dec 30th, 2022. The team works meticulously and ensures that every manuscript they receive finds a home with a publisher.
5. How supportive is your publisher of your work?
The publisher was very supportive. We worked in tandem with the Locksley Hall editorial team every step of the way.
6. How do you see literary success for yourself?
Literary success to me is being accepted by my readers and critics alike. When my poems and stories resonate in the heart of another, that is when I would know that I have arrived. I aspire for that. A Booker Prize wouldn’t hurt either!
7. When can we expect your next book?
Very soon. The manuscript is already complete.
8. How has your experience being working with Locksley Hall Publishing ?
It’s been a pleasure working with Locksley Hall Publishing team. They were supportive every step of the way.
9. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?
Trust the path. Keep feeding your soul and write from that space. Success will come your way eventually.
BOOK NAME : RED RIVER RISING
PUBLISHER : LOCKSLEY HALL PUBLISHING
BOOK SYNOPSIS/BLURB :
Lakshmi, a young woman, shares a disturbing relationship with the Periyar River. Her traumatic childhood, social conditioning and relentless search for love, pushes her to the edge.
Radha, an activist from Delhi, is in the tribal town of Attapadi in search of her husband Krishnan, who the authorities allege is a Maoist. She is assisted by Mani, a member of a local tribe.
Sabu, a fisherman responsible for the rescue and evacuation of those affected by floods in the Attapady reserve forest, stumbles upon a vital information regarding Radha’s missing husband, Krishnan.
How did Krishnan disappear? Where is he now? Will Radha be successful in finding her husband? Can Radha and Mani survive the treacherous waters of the deluge? And what is the mystery behind the mass burial in the middle of the forest?
Set amidst the devastating Kerala floods of 2018, Red River Rising explores the social, psychological, environmental and political impact the river has on its unsuspecting protagonists amidst nature’s fury.
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