@Ramya
Ramya V
@Ramya · 1:18

Author & historian Sumedha V. Ojha talks about writing historical fiction & her latest book 'Urnabhih - Chanakya's Scribe'.

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I have Geneva based ex bureaucrat, historian, author, columnist and Web series maker Sumedha VI Oja joining me today in talking about the art of writing historical fiction and her latest book, Urunabihi The Scribe of Chanakya, which is set in More in India. She's focused on a 360 degree understanding of India, ancient India based on indic and Shastrik epistemology, focusing on Sanskrit and prakrit literature, democracys and gender issues. Thank you so much for joining me today, Sumita, and welcome to Swell

#historicalfiction #askanauthor #authorinterview

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@Urnabhih2
Sumedha Verma Ojha
@Urnabhih2 · 2:56
Some of us want to live it. For me, it's all about bringing the past to the present. It's all about recreating. In this series, the more rians. But of course I will speak more of that later. Everyone wants to know their roots, everyone wants to know their history. And that is the secret of the enduring success of historical fiction. And I hope to see much more historical fiction arising out of Indian settings
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@Ramya
Ramya V
@Ramya · 0:26

@Urnabhih2

Everyone wants to know their roots. Absolutely agree with what you just said, Theresa. Ramya, thanks for sharing that. For a historical fiction novel to make an impact, as you said, the setting of the book and the time period it evokes, folks, has to be believable. So what research and techniques do you use to ensure that the conflict, the plot, the setting and the characters are true to the time period?
@Swell
Swell Team
@Swell · 0:15

Welcome to Swell!

@Urnabhih2
Sumedha Verma Ojha
@Urnabhih2 · 4:33

@Ramya

And that indeed is my passion to make you see not just a snapshot, as I said, but perhaps a film, a running film of life as it was during the modern period. Behind that goes a lot of research, information, analysis and also recasting it so that it is palatable to the 2020 1st century. Reader
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@Ramya
Ramya V
@Ramya · 0:51

@Urnabhih2

Writing historical fiction requires going very well beyond the borders of your experience. I could gather that from the reply that you shared. Thank you so much for that deep dive into how you went about with your meticulous research for the book. Also, language presents particular joys and challenges for the writer of historical fiction. While accuracy is important to historical dialogue, so is understandable. So if a dialogue is historically too accurate, the 21st century reader may get put off, especially if it is too dense
@Urnabhih2
Sumedha Verma Ojha
@Urnabhih2 · 4:50

@Ramya

In Hindi and Sanskrit. And then I write in English. I am not able to write in Sanskrit or in Hindi as well as I would like to, simply because I was educated in the Western system, in the English medium. And that's the language I can write most easily in. So there are trip wires inside my brain. There are some things which will go nowhere, some emotions which will go nowhere because I think in a different language and I write in a different one
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@Ramya
Ramya V
@Ramya · 0:24
Thank you so much for sharing that sumedha. Your latest book, Undnaby the Scribe of Chanakya, is part two of the unnati series of historical fiction. Could you give us a little sneak peek into what your book is all about? I'm sure those in this welcome community who are tuning in would really love to know a little bit more about your latest book
@Urnabhih2
Sumedha Verma Ojha
@Urnabhih2 · 5:00

@Ramya

The seduced were the successors of Alexander the Greek, and they wanted to get parts of northwestern India back from Chandrakh because Alexander had conquered some of them in his day. They also wanted control over the northern trade routes, which were the links into the Gulf, into the Mediterranean and later into Europe. Such were the trade routes of the day. So this is a vast canvas. The focus is India. The focus is partly put
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@Ramya
Ramya V
@Ramya · 0:36
Thank you sumitra for this wonderful conversation. I'd like to wish you all the very best for your book, which I'm sure will be very wellreceived. And thanks again. I look forward to having you back on Swell for more great booking conversations and I cannot wait to get my copy of your book. And I do hope to come back and post a detailed review of the book on Swell
@Urnabhih2
Sumedha Verma Ojha
@Urnabhih2 · 0:29

@Ramya

Thank you, Ramya. Thanks so much for inviting me on this well podcast and for asking such insightful and different questions which throw an insight into the book writing process. And, you know, all that I have done while writing this book. It's been my pleasure. I hope definitely to come again. I look forward to your review of the book and I hope to be back again with you on this well podcast. Thank you. Goodbye. Namaste
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