Alka Joshi began writing her novel, “The Henna Artist” at age 51, after leaving a successful career as an advertising copywriter, creative director and marketing consultant. She says that writing ads taught her a lot about the art of creating an engaging story, even if it lasted less than a minute. She was inspired to go back to school to earn her MFA in 2008 when her business was hit by the Great Recession and a friend told her that “the opportunity cost of going to graduate school had never been lower.” This gave Alka the opportunity to immerse herself in writing, reading, and craft for two full years. It also gave her the chance to spend a month or more traveling with her mother back to her hometown in India, which provided plenty of inspiration and realistic details for her novel.
“The Henna Artist” is set in 1950’s Jaipur, India, shortly after the nation achieved independence, but most women had very little freedom. It is the story of a young woman who defies tradition, leaving an abusive arranged marriage to strike out on her own. In this interview, we discuss the influences of Alka’s immigrant childhood, her mother’s traditional life, and the support she received from both parents to break with that tradition.
At this age, I can write about grief and loneliness, sadness and death and birth, when I couldn’t have written about it in my 20’s – I didn’t have the experience.
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.
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I’m listening to Alka’s audiobook now, and it is so beautiful. The narration is excellent. Thank you for this in-depth look in to the author’s world!
Thank you Liza – Alka was a delight to interview.