We all want to know what our favourite authors read. There is this sense of camaraderie in knowing that they also love reading authors we love to read and dislike reading authors we don’t think much of. I think it stems from a place of familiarity and comfort.
Amish Tripathi, author of the very famous Shiva trilogy, talks about books he loves, genres he reads and the books he avoids.
Q: What books are currently on your night stand?
Amish Tripathi: Urnabhih by Sumedha Ojha and Sati by Meenakshi Jain.
Q: What was the last good book that you read?
Amish Tripathi: An Era of Darkness by Shashi Tharoor.
Q: What genres do you love reading and which are the ones that you avoid?
Amish Tripathi:
I primarily read non-fiction. Especially books in genres such as History, Mythology, Spirituality, Science, Philosophies, Economics, Politics. I avoid Chick Lit books.
Q: If you had to give every Indian a book to read at this time, which one would it be and why?
Amish Tripathi: Any book that teaches the complete practice of Yoga. It can cure so many health and stress related issues that modern Indians face.
Q: Which books according to you explain the current situation in India most appropriately?
Amish Tripathi: Can’t think of any which does it completely.
Q: What books people would be surprised to find on your shelf?
Amish Tripathi: I don’t know. How can I predict what people think of my reading habits!
Q: Which is one of your favourite books that most people haven’t heard of?
Amish Tripathi: Sati by Meenakshi Jain. I am reading it right now. It is a scholarly book on a very important subject. A must read! Sadly, it is not as well-known as it should be.
Q: What do you read when you are working on your books? What kind of reading do you avoid while writing?
Amish Tripathi: I don’t change my reading habits while writing. I continue to read the books that I would normally read.
Q: How do you organise your books?
Amish Tripathi: They are quite disorganised right now. I need to organise them!
Q: You are organising a literary party. Which 5 living authors would you invite and why?
Amish Tripathi:
Shashi Tharoor, Sanjeev Sanyal, Meenakshi Jain, Amitav Ghosh, Ruskin Bond. One can sense in them, a shared passion for India, the country that I love. And yet, their views differ on what would be good for India. It would be a fascinating conversation to be a part of.
Q: Whom would you want to write your life story?
Amish Tripathi: My life story is not exciting enough to be recorded in a book.
Q: What books are going to be read next?
Amish Tripathi: Probably Bombay Stories by Saadat Hasan Manto.
(Vivek Tejuja is a bibliophile who breathes, eats and lives books.)
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