2. February 2014

CONVERSATION WITH VIKRAM SETH
Sarosh: How does a Space that one chooses inspire or
help a novelist while writing? How did you choose Haatiban
resort for your stay?
I wanted to stay outside Delhi for a while, and I thought
of various places in India, but eventually, since I hadn’t
been to Nepal for many years – and previously for just a
single day!– I thought, why don't I try it? Since I knew no
one here, I spoke to a few friends and they asked me what
sorts of facilities I needed? I mentioned I didn’t need a five
star hotel or any specific facilities; but what I did want was a
view, and I would like silence and, hmm... space – an
interesting space, basically: a hilly space where you cannot
see everything at once, and things open up to you as you
walk up and down. I think Haatiban has it...hmmm...
everything from the Ganesh Himal, all the way, on a clear
day, to Everest; the mist in the valley, the sense of being of
the world and yet away from the world. I find Haatiban a
wonderful place in this regard.
Sarosh: How do you manage to keep focused on your work?
I’m not truly a focused type of person, except for short
periods of time like when I’m doing a piece of
calligraphy or a painting or something. But with a novel, you
have to stay the distance in some way, you have to show
some stamina, you can’t just say I’ll be obsessed for few
minutes and then I’ll come out of it.
Instead of being a disciplined or determined person, I find
myself an obsessed person. I’m not recommending it, but
it’s not a bad substitute. My preferred mode of operation is
to do something concentratedly, over a short period of time.
It’s just that when I’m writing a long novel, I find myself–
against my own grain – running a marathon rather than a
sprint, and I’m quite enjoying it.
Sarosh: While writing A Suitable Boy, where did you stay the
most?
I stayed mainly in my bed actually, hmmm… I was at
my parents’ place in Delhi; my mother was a judge at
that time. The house was very large,in fact it was an official
house, and the upstairs was empty. I didn’t have much
money at that time, had given up my economics studies in
the US and had just come back to Delhi. So I lived there
and started to write and started thinking about the book.
My habit is to sit in bed and write, to use a dark blue or
plain white duvet as a calm desk in a sense; these are
some of the secrets of my technique!
The stamina doesn’t come from discipline, it comes from
obsession. I sometimes don’t write for a month or two
and sometimes I continuously write for weeks on end…
I think the obsession to write helps you to build your
stamina.
Sarosh: Do you write your novels by hand?
While I was writing A Suitable Boy, I got a sort of
cramp in my wrist. It got so bad that I couldn’t even
lift a cup of tea. I went to a doctor, and what she advised
me to do was to type; she said all you need is a little bit
of variety in the movement of the wrist; but for a month
do nothing at all. But I was deep into the novel and had to
keep going, so I dictated a few chapters instead of
writing or typing them.
Sarosh: Does your work have a character from Nepal?
I have no idea. But so far, not.
Sarosh: Besides writing, what are the other activities in
life that inspire you?
Over the last few years, I have spent more time
painting, sculpting and doing calligraphy than writing,
and earlier I spent a lot of time doing music. So, I don’t
feel it’s necessary that you have to assume everything
needs to feed your writing. I think that if something gives
you pleasure, and if you love it at a particular time then
you should do it; it is a part of life fully lived.
Sarosh: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
Basically, being someone other than myself or doing
something other than I do … I would love to have
been a musician. But you cannot take something like that
up at a late stage of life, whether it’s Indian classical
music or Western music or whatever; painting you can
take up late in life – or even writing, since you already
have the skill of speaking the language. But as for music,
that’s quite a different thing.
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