Today we’d like to introduce you to Chitra Divakaruni

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

I never thought I’d become a writer; immigration made me into one! It was a combination of being away from everything that was familiar to me in India and being thrown headfirst into the adventure of America that made me start writing down my experiences–first as poems, then short stories, then novels. When my first collection of stories, Arranged Marriage, (about the changes women faced when they found themselves in a country where all the rules were different) won an American Book Award and became a bestseller, it was a big surprise to me. That was what started me off on a lifelong journey to imagine and reimagine the inner life of women–current day women (as in Before We Visit the Goddess), historical women (as in The Last Queen) and women out of Indian mythology (as in Palace of Illusions).

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

There were many struggles. Getting published was a major one. I sent out many stories to magazines, and they were sent right back to me! A big change happened once I got an agent. She took my stories to New York and showed them to major publishers. Doubleday made an offer–and after that, things got much easier.

On the personal and career front, time has always been an issue as I have taught English and Creative Writing from the beginning. Working with writers means a lot to me. I wasn’t willing to give up my job, and additionally, I had a family–two little kids, when I first started to publish–so I really had to learn how to manage time and give up inessential activities.

And writer’s block! It happened–and happens–regularly, and I have to find strategies to get around it. Fortunately, reading writers who are working in the same genre helps me to get inspired.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I am a writer. I write fiction–novels and short stories, mostly; some poetry, and some nonfiction. I am known for my analysis and depiction of Indian culture, especially immigrant life. I focus largely on women’s experience, and this fuses well with my activist interests in the fields of women’s and girls’ education and domestic violence.
I am also hugely interested in the history (particularly 19th and 20th century) and mythology/epics of India and have written two historical novels titled The Last Queen and Independence. The Last Queen won several awards, including Best Fiction from the Times of India. I have written two novels reinterpreting the epics, The Ramayana and the Mahabharat, from the point of view of two major women characters, Sita and Draupadi. My novels are titled The Palace of Illusions and The Forest of Enchantments. These two novels are taught in many colleges and universities.

What were you like growing up?

I was always interested in reading, but I didn’t ever think I’d become a writer. I didn’t think I had the talent. I always wanted to teach (my mother was a teacher) and at a certain point I wanted to become an airline pilot!
I was a quiet and imaginative child and had great difficulty with any kind of public speaking. Ironic, because now a lot of my time is spent in giving talks at book festivals and in giving lectures on writing and publishing at my university.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chitradivakaruni.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divakarunichitra/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chitradivakaruni/
• Twitter: https://x.com/cdivakaruni