What do you think?
Rate this book
How I Write : Writers on Their Craft
- GenresWriting
400 pages, Paperback
Published December 12, 2024
6 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Sonia Faleiro
16Ìýbooks173ÌýfollowersSonia Faleiro is the author of Beautiful Thing: Inside the Secret World of Bombay's Dance Bars and a novella, The Girl. Her new book, The Good Girls: An Ordinary Killing will be published in 2021.
The New York Times hailed Beautiful Thing as ‘an intimate and valuable piece of reportage that will break your heart several times over.� The book was an Observer, Guardian, and Economist Book of the Year, Time Out Subcontinental Book of the Year, CNN Mumbai Book of the Year, and The Sunday Times Travel Book of the Year, 2011. It has been published worldwide and translated into several languages.
She is the co-founder of Deca, a global cooperative of award-winning journalists. Her writing has received support from the Pulitzer Centre and The Investigative Fund, and appears in The New York Times, The Financial Times, Harper's, Granta, 1843, The California Sunday Magazine, and MIT Technology Review.
She lives in London and is represented by The Wylie Agency.
The New York Times hailed Beautiful Thing as ‘an intimate and valuable piece of reportage that will break your heart several times over.� The book was an Observer, Guardian, and Economist Book of the Year, Time Out Subcontinental Book of the Year, CNN Mumbai Book of the Year, and The Sunday Times Travel Book of the Year, 2011. It has been published worldwide and translated into several languages.
She is the co-founder of Deca, a global cooperative of award-winning journalists. Her writing has received support from the Pulitzer Centre and The Investigative Fund, and appears in The New York Times, The Financial Times, Harper's, Granta, 1843, The California Sunday Magazine, and MIT Technology Review.
She lives in London and is represented by The Wylie Agency.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 5, 2025
South Asia Speaks is perhaps one of the most generous writing communities ever. Reading these interviews and gaining insight into the writing processes and practices of established authors is nothing short of a treasure trove of literary wealth.
Thank you for publishing this remarkable book. The fact that all royalties are dedicated to supporting the people of Gaza adds an even richer reason to read and share this book.
Thank you for publishing this remarkable book. The fact that all royalties are dedicated to supporting the people of Gaza adds an even richer reason to read and share this book.
March 1, 2025
Sonia Falero, founder of South Asia Speaks, a fantastic program that promotes South Asian literary voices, has curated and edited this wonderful collection of interviews with erudite writers from the region. I loved reading them.
This collection should really be called "How and Why I write" because you understand the motivations and driving force of each author through each piece. More than anything else, it really drove home the importance of independent and free thought and the absolute necessity of safeguarding the ability to communicate it.
While all the interviews were good, some that stood out for me were:
Pankaj Mishra and his general take on journalism.
Kamila Shamsie placing much value on grit.
Manjushree Thapa on understanding yourself to be able to write about your own community, even if you feel othered within in.
Mansi Choksi talking of the physical danger one can face when working on tough stories.
Anuvab Pal's take on understanding an audience and finding commonalities in seemingly disconnected audiences.
Nilanjala Roy reminiscing on how the fear of being read held her back from writing. Parul Sehgal on her experience of understanding what made her draw pleasure from a book - irrespective of whether it is a 'good' or 'bad' book.
Mira Nair's piece was probably my favourite, overall.
And lastly, hilariously, it turns out Suketu Mehta doesn't drunk dial (or maybe does and doesn't talk about it), but drunk-signs-book-contracts! What a lovely problem to have!
This collection should really be called "How and Why I write" because you understand the motivations and driving force of each author through each piece. More than anything else, it really drove home the importance of independent and free thought and the absolute necessity of safeguarding the ability to communicate it.
While all the interviews were good, some that stood out for me were:
Pankaj Mishra and his general take on journalism.
Kamila Shamsie placing much value on grit.
Manjushree Thapa on understanding yourself to be able to write about your own community, even if you feel othered within in.
Mansi Choksi talking of the physical danger one can face when working on tough stories.
Anuvab Pal's take on understanding an audience and finding commonalities in seemingly disconnected audiences.
Nilanjala Roy reminiscing on how the fear of being read held her back from writing. Parul Sehgal on her experience of understanding what made her draw pleasure from a book - irrespective of whether it is a 'good' or 'bad' book.
Mira Nair's piece was probably my favourite, overall.
And lastly, hilariously, it turns out Suketu Mehta doesn't drunk dial (or maybe does and doesn't talk about it), but drunk-signs-book-contracts! What a lovely problem to have!
December 9, 2024
How I Write is a fascinating collection of candid interviews with writers, offering a unique glimpse into their creative processes. The book uncovers the varied and personal ways that authors approach the act of writing. The interview format allows each author to speak in their own voice, making their insights feel more intimate and authentic. Great book!
March 8, 2025
A stellar collection on writing and reading that all can learn from. You will come away with insight & inspiration + a longer reading list.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.