1) Latika, how long
have you been working towards this first short story collection?
It feels like much too long!
In actuality I’d say the writing of the stories occurred over a period
of 3-4 years and then getting the book ready and out probably took another
year. I’m quite a slow writer and it took me a while to get together enough
stories so that I would have a pool of stories from which I could select the
ones that worked best together as a collection.
2) Rising to
the Surface features a stunning cover by Michael Soppitt: it not only
looks great, but from what I know of your fiction, it also fits what's inside
the book very well. How did you manage to find such a great cover?
I’m glad so many people have responded so well to the
cover! Finding the cover fell into place
quite nicely. I had an image in my mind
of something involving an underwater scene but a surreal take on that. Water is a strong motif in the book with
several of the stories featuring the ocean at pivotal moments in the
characters' lives. I also liked the feeling of people being inside a bubble,
which the cover depicts so beautifully, as I feel many of my characters are
living inside their own little bubble worlds. So having this concept in my mind
I turned to the internet, as you do, and found this photograph by Michael
Soppitt in the UK, and he kindly agreed to me using it! I feel very lucky that
I was able to have some input into choosing the cover.
3) How would you describe the style of story in Rising to the Surface to a reader who isn't familiar with your work?
I would say the stories are strongly character-driven and
the settings tend towards urban New Zealand.
There’s a lot of contemporary Wellington in the stories. I did try to create some variation though in
style and voice. There are male and
female narrators, characters of different ages and lifestyles, and tonally the
stories are quite varied. Having said
this, I think there are some thematic threads linking the stories – the idea of
disconnection and loneliness. Many of
the characters are at a point in their lives where they are perhaps adrift and
looking for something to hang onto – something a bit more substantial. This all sounds slightly heavy but I’ve been
told by many readers that the stories have a sense of humour too!
4) Was it a difficult
job to choose a set of stories that would work well together in your debut
collection?
First of all I felt quite happy that I had enough stories to
be able to pick and choose! I tried to
select stories that had enough variation to keep things interesting but also
with links and connections so that hopefully it feels like the whole is greater
than the sum of its part. I think this is really important in a collection. It
doesn’t have to be overt but I think there has to be some sense of
connectedness to the stories.
5) Especially in a
debut collection, the first story in the book plays the key role of introducing
the potential reader to the author and her work. What made "The Sand Mandala" just the right story to open the collection?
Yes, it’s like music – the first track on an album is so
important. It sets the tone and hopefully
lures the listener (reader) into your little world. One of the reasons I chose “The Sand Mandala”
is that everyone kept telling me it was their favorite story and insisting I
start with it! I think it works well
because it had many of the features and themes that are mirrored in some of the
other stories – the idea of the chance encounter and how that can be a catalyst
for reflection and change. I also liked
the visual quality to the story as it leaves the reader with lots of lovely
images. It felt like a positive note to
start with even though it is partly about death and impermanence.
6) I'm noticing a
strong trend towards publishers, e-publishers in particular, wanting novellas
at the moment - a complete change from a few years ago, when they were very
hard to place. Do you write, or have you thought about writing, longer forms of
fiction?
Definitely. And
you’re absolutely right about the new interest in novellas. As a writer I guess novellas provide a nice
middle ground between short stories and novels. I’ve always been a huge novel reader so I
would love to write one. This would
involve a different writing approach for me as I tend to be quite intuitive and
chaotic when writing stories. I don’t
overly plan the story at the outset and often just ‘go’ with the character and
follow where they lead. I think with a
novel there has to be some structure and planning ahead of time. Chaos will not
do! I have a few ideas bubbling away at
the moment for novels…
7) Who are some of
the authors who have influenced your own writing?
I have read a lot of short story collections the past few
years – Lorrie Moore, Binnie Kirshenbaum, Alice Munro, have been highlights. Elizabeth Strout’s beautiful collection of
linked short stories Olive Kitteridge has been influential. I like the idea of linked short stories and
would love to explore that in my own writing.
8) And who are some
of the authors you currently enjoy reading and whom you think readers of this
interview might be interested in?
Recently I have been reading several Indian-American
writers. Both Jhumpa Lahiri and Chitra
Banerjee Divakaruni are amazing short story and novel writers.
