The works of author and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has been published in over 50 magazines, including The Atlantic Monthly and The New Yorker. Divakaruni's 2003 novel The Conch Bearer (Roli Books) was published and released in India recently. Her latest release is The Palace of Illusions (Picador), Draupadi's saga told in first person. The US-based author talks about the books she writes for children and her favourite authors in an e-mail interview with BW Online's Sanjitha Rao Chaini. Excerpts..
Why was The Conch Bearer published so late in India, considering there is a dearth of books for children set in Indian context?
You have touched on a sore point! Living in America as I do, I don't have many connections with the Indian publishing world, and so, it sometimes takes me longer to connect with publishers than I would like. I certainly wish my books would come out in India at the same time that they do in the US. I would love for more Indian readers to be able to read my books.
I feel sad that my books are translated into seventeen different languages worldwide (such as Hebrew, Japanese, Spanish, German, and Russian) but I haven't been able to find Indian language publishers.
How did you think of writing 'Brotherhood of Conch' series? What inspired you?
I have always loved the magical Indian tales I grew up with. I wanted to write a similar story that had Indian characters and an Indian setting and that used some of the elements of the Indian folk or fairy tale. I wanted such a story to be available for my sons as well as other children of different ethnic backgrounds in this country [US], for them to relate to and enjoy Indian characters. I certainly hope children in India enjoy this novel as well as its sequel, The Mirror Of Fire And Dreaming (should also be out in India by now), in which Anand and Nisha, the boy and girl who are the main characters of conch bearer, go on a magical adventure into India's past.
The Conch Bearer reminds me of Harry Potter and the myriad of magical plots in the series. Your comments.
My novels for adult readers (which I wrote some time before Harry Potter) often use magical themes as well. For instance, The Mistress Of Spices is about a woman with special powers who runs an Indian grocery and helps her customers with their special problems. It was a natural extension of my writing to then create a book for younger readers.
I have, of course, read Harry Potter but I was more influenced by Phillip Pullman's wonderful quest novels, starting with the golden compass.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am just finishing up the third and final book of 'The Brotherhood Of The Conch' series. It is titled Shadowland and is another magical adventure with the same characters, Anand and Nisha - this time in a future world.
Who are your favourite Indian authors?
I read many Indian authors, especially those writing in English, such as Amitava Ghosh, Arundhati Roy, Anita Desai, Kiran Desai, Rohinton Mistry, etc. I love reading my mother tongue, Bengali, and some of my favourite writers are Bani Basu, Supriya Bhattacharya and Sunil Gangopadhyay. And, of course, Tagore and Sharat Chandra, who are timeless and inspiring.
Personalities 
The works of author and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has been published in over 50 magazines, including The Atlantic Monthly and The New Yorker. Divakaruni's 2003 novel The Conch Bearer (Roli Books) was published and released in India recently. Her latest release is The Palace of Illusions (Picador), Draupadi's saga told in first person. The US-based author talks about the books she writes for children and her favourite authors in an e-mail interview with BW Online's Sanjitha Rao Chaini. Excerpts..
The Conch Bearer reminds me of Harry Potter and the myriad of magical plots in the series. Your comments.
