Sahana Ahmed
Book Title : Combat Skirts
Sahana Ahmed is a novelist, short story writer, and poet. A graduate of the Institute of Hotel Management, Kolkata, she holds a master’s degree in Tourism Management. As the founder-director of Alpha Sierra Academy, Sahana has worked with leading institutions as a training consultant, including Reserve Bank of India, Utkal University, KIIT School of Management, and Army Wives Welfare Association. Sahana is an alumna of the University of East Anglia’s Creative Writing India Workshop. Her writings have been published in The New York Times, The Pinch Journal, The Hindu BusinessLine, and Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine, among others. Combat Skirts, her debut novel, was published by Juggernaut Books. Sahana lives in Gurugram. Find her online at www.sahanaahmed.com
“Sometimes, we do not get a chance to thank each one who has helped us in our Journey.” Let the readers get a chance to know about all the important people who have played a part in this ‘Author Journey of Yours’.
Novelist Amit Chaudhuri has been extremely generous with his time and support. Poet Jayshree Misra Tripathi and journalist Humra Quraishi have helped my work reach more readers. The writers I met at the University of East Anglia’s Creative Writing Workshop have helped me keep my chin up. I must thank my publishers, Juggernaut Books and Pirates, and all the editors from around the world who have found my work worthy of being accepted. Finally, I am grateful for my husband, Shakil, and my sister, Shabana. They plod through my constant rewrites and endure my mood swings.
How and when did you first realize your calling for writing your debut novel titled, “Combat Skirts”? Can you tell us a bit about your book? How long did it take you to complete the work?
It took about nine months from signing the contract to submitting the manuscript. The idea for the book came from my commissioning editor at Juggernaut. She loved a short story I had written and wanted me to write a novel with a similar backdrop: a military love story.
Combat Skirts is a coming-of-age story set in an army girls’ hostel in Calcutta. It spans one year in the life of the protagonist, between Pokhran II and the Kargil War.
According to you which are the 5 books that everyone should read and who are your top 3 Authors and what impact did they have in your journey as a writer?
Mahabharata, certainly. And I keep returning to Little Women, 1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Godfather.
As a child, I was influenced by the writings of PG Wodehouse, Goscinny and Uderzo, and Viktor Dragunsky. They helped me understand style and voice without being aware of it.
What inspires you to write? When did you write your first poem/short story?
I am a shy person; you won’t find me offering opinions unless asked. This is why I am not as active on social media as I should be. Most of my work springs from an urgent need to express what cannot be contained emotionally. I do not consider myself a conventional writer, I do not write regularly, and I am careful about what goes out into the world. And to answer your second question, the first thing I remember writing was a sight-light-bright poem at the age of eight or nine.
What has been your most cherished experience as an author?
The reviews I have received for Combat Skirts. Absolutely overwhelming.
Could you share a few tips for budding Authors and aspiring writers?
Please work on your craft, be authentic, and have patience.
How does it feel to be the National President of the Rural Tourism Council of WICCI?
It is a huge responsibility, both in terms of building a community from scratch and the scope of work we can do. My primary goal is to create a network of women leaders with a vision and passion for this sector. In two-and-a-half months, we have 160+ members working in 20 states, and I measure our success by the fact that we receive requests to join the council almost every day. We have conducted 17 events in less than a month and are ready with a seven-page letter of recommendations for the Ministry of Tourism. It is a deeply satisfying undertaking.
Are you working on anything at present that you would like to share with your readers? What are your future plans?
I am fully committed to consolidating the Rural Tourism Council at present. That includes skill development initiatives, business networking, collaborations, and promotions. My team is also working on recommendations for the Finance and Culture ministries. So, I have my plate full.
About the future, I can’t say. I need to return to a couple of book ideas, one of them for my ten-year-old daughter.
How can a writer keep the mental block or writer’s block away from his/her creativity?
I have said this before. Writer’s block is a sign of mental/emotional/physical exhaustion. Just take a break. It also happens if you try to force your will on your characters. Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser, you need to set aside your ego sometimes and listen to your characters. They usually know the way out of dead ends.
At Sharing Stories, we have an ongoing campaign ‘Let’s Empower Our Kids’. Please suggest some books here that you would want your child to read before the age of 15 which could help him in understanding certain dimensions of human life like empathy, sympathy, relationships, etc.
Let me suggest a few Indian titles. Off the top of my head: Panchatantra by Vishnu Sharma, Climbing the Mango Trees by Madhur Jaffrey, Malgudi Days by R.K. Narayan, and the Collected Short Stories of Ruskin Bond and Satyajit Ray.
Reach out to Ms. Sahana Ahmed at below attached Social Media Handles.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahana-ahmed/
Rapid Fire Round
1. Favorite Place, Actor & Actress, Person, Food, beverage…. Home, SRK & Nutan, my husband, dal-sabzi-chawal, water.
2.Your other Talents apart from writing…. I like to paint but I am not sure I have any real talent there.
3.Your First Love… Please don’t think I am vain, but I have always liked myself.
4. Favorite Quote…. “Not all who wander are lost.”
5. Favourite Character from a book… Cinderella. Iconic, layered, timeless.
What if Round
1. What if you had to live with only three things all your life, what would the three things be?
Things? Such a tricky question. My phone (and charger), medicines, and an unending supply of money.
2. What if you were given the power to change one thing from this world, what would you change?
I would take away social media. (Please don’t hate me.)
3. What if you had all the money in this world, what would you do first?
Fund research to tackle Climate Change.
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