Arshia Sattar has written two books for children, Kishkindha Tails and Pampa Sutra, both published by the Kishkindha Trust. She has also worked as a story consultant for Usborne Publishing in the UK, and writes extensively about books and literature for various Indian and international publications. The author, who will be at the Tata Lit Live! this year, tells us about her current endeavours.
Can you tell us about what are you currently teaching?
I’m currently not teaching — I will go back to teaching when I need to test out the ideas for my new book.
What are a few tips that the modern Indian businessman can pick up from your book The Mouse Merchant: Money in Ancient India?
It’s a collection of stories that explores how people thought about money, how they spent it and how they enjoyed it.
Will you ever write another children’s book again? What do you think it will be about?
Of course, I’ll write another children’s book. They’re short, fun to write and you have to think about where you may want to use ‘big’ words. This is where I can really use my imagination, rather than being held to a set of ideas. However, I’m not sure about what it will be.
Do you think that our country suffers from a dearth of writers’ residency programmes?
I believe that there will never be enough writers’ residency programs, no matter what country you live in. However, we need to realise that writing needs to be supported just like other art form.