@iamreadomania
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The Art of Historical Fiction - In Conversation with Sutapa Basu
Hello and good morning everyone. I'm delighted to have awardwinning author, poet and publishing consultant Shutt Pasu. Join me in this conversation today where we are going to be talking about her books and writing in general. Shutupa has a commendable body of work to her credit, and with three best selling historical fiction novels, she's managed to make a niche for herself in the genre
Sutapa Basu
@Sutapa · 1:30
To me they were story books and I loved stories. But growing up, I realized that history has a way of repeating itself. If one wants to understand the present or anticipate the future, one needs to know the past and of course, learn the lessons it teaches us, though many of us often fail to do so, and we keep repeating our mistakes
Wow. Good to know that your love for history started off quite early in your life. I must also add that history has been one of my favorite subjects as well at school, but I think that probably was on account of this wonderful history teacher that I had. Anyways, one of the trickiest aspects of writing historical fiction is doing all the research required to create an immersive, authentic historical world. So writing a research heavy book like Padmavati or Genghis Khan could not have been all that easy
Sutapa Basu
@Sutapa · 2:06
He has written a beautiful Traveloc on Jengaskan, and he writes since it is so evocative that I would forget that I was sitting in my study and reading what he had written, and I would be wandering with him over the steps, and I would be hunting with the Mongols. So yes, I totally agree that research is the key, basically to historical fiction that needs to be done with complete focus as well as sincerity
Sutapa Basu
@Sutapa · 2:30
So my way of designing a historical fiction is to keep the plot line firmly anchored to actual historical details, whether it is about a person or events. My author note in each one of my books clearly says that the book is a tale of fiction, but the historical facts and figures remain intact throughout the story. You see what happens is history is an interpretation of evidence. So often we will find gaps in its telling, possibly because there was no evidence to support the story in those parts
Wow. Thanks for sharing that Sutapa. So you have facts and you have some lies. And the tricky step is to integrate these details into the narrative. My next question is an easy one. Have other writers of historical fiction or non fiction influenced your way of writing? And if so, how have they influenced you
Sutapa Basu
@Sutapa · 3:21
Oh, yes. There have been quite a few writers who have influenced me. And since I have been a very voracious reader of historical fiction, these writers have been Philip Gregory. I have read, I think, everything that she has written on English history
Thanks. Shut up. You just gave me a ton of books to look up and add to my TBR list. And I think your bang on about pure historical fiction movies not being all that well received by the Indian audience unless it's generously peppered with all the melodrama and masala to suit our sensibilities. So my next question is this I am very much intrigued by your choice of protagonist. So the much maligned ruler and Morado Genghis Khan, the Readomania Nadesha
Sutapa Basu
@Sutapa · 3:42
That is how I choose who's my protagonist, whether it's Bhatnagati or Genghis Khan or Nadesha, or more books on historical personalities which are still waiting in the wings
I love what you say about allowing your readers to decide on what kind of personalities these historical figures were, rather than just pegging them into those so called images, historical perceptions that have been created around them. So thank you for that. And I must say, I'm really looking forward to the third book in your Invader series, but I'm just wondering if you've already identified who your next book is going to be based on. If so, do let us know
Sutapa Basu
@Sutapa · 3:03
I have actually been enjoying this chitchat nameless Journal. So if you love it, I love it too. Now to your question, a formula? I don't know. As you said, is there really a formula, but there is some kind of a process that works for me and I'd love to share it. I hope it will work for others as well. So one of the first things that I feel we should do is draw the reader into the historical period
I knew it. There is no such golden formula jokes apart. That was really, really helpful. Thank you for that. I must congratulate you on in your upcoming novel because Inheritance. So it'll be great if you could give us a little sneak peek of what the book is all about. Also, I'm just going to go ahead and link here the pre order link to your latest book, The Cursed Inheritance. So for those of you on Swell who might want to check it out
Sutapa Basu
@Sutapa · 1:41
Thank you. Nameless Journal I am very excited about this book because it belongs to the genre of cozy mysteries and am just stepping into this new style. So the story is about a young girl called Anita, who was brought up in London and who suddenly realizes that she has inherited a mansion in Kolkata. But is that all that she has inherited? Because from her very first day in the mansion, enigmas pursue her
But I'd also love for the writers here on Swell to join in. So I'm going to be writing some of them to this conversation if you're okay with that. But this has been super fun. Thank you so much for being here on Swell Sutapa. Okay. I think it's over to you now, guys. So do join in and ask away any questions that you might have to ask. Shoot up by sue. Thank you
Sutapa Basu
@Sutapa · 0:26
Thank you so much. Nameless Journal. I really have enjoyed this conversation and yes, anybody who wants to ask me anything if I can answer, I certainly will. So do. Come on with whatever you want to ask. Thank you so much everyone and take care. Bye