The Modern Times

 Amandeep Sandhu is an up-and-coming writer from India. And we have had the pleasure of being the first to interview him.

 

TMT: First of all, what is the name of you book?

Amandeep Sandhu: The book is titled Sepia Leaves. Sepia as in the colour of memory (old black and white photographs turn sepia with time), and Leaves as in leaves of an album. It is a book about memory.

TMT: Are there any events in your life that have influenced your book?

Amandeep Sandhu: Yes, it is a very personal book. It is about mental illness and the effect such an illness can have on a family. At the same time it is also about hope, about how we can find redemption in spite of the crises we face in life.

TMT: What do you look to when you write a book, any things or people?

Amandeep Sandhu: I was looking for a cathartic experience. I had been composing the book for around two years before my father passed away. However, the format of the book came together on the night he died. In general, I look for people and try to learn how events in their lives shape them. In my head I keep inventing stories about the people I meet.

TMT: What is the hardest part about writing a book?

Amandeep Sandhu: For this book it was the point of view. For a long time I was not sure how to split the point of view between the adult and young protagonist (both of whom were the same person). I also struggled, or in fact really learnt how to write dialogue while writing this book.

TMT: What inspired you to write your book?

Amandeep Sandhu: The concept of guilt. I saw my father as someone who felt guilty for his wife's (my mother's) condition. I wanted to investigate the guilt through my book.

TMT: At what age did you decide you wanted to one day write a book?

Amandeep Sandhu: At age 13. I remember quite vividly when I was that age and had been thrown from a dysfunctional family into a disturbingly over-disciplined boarding school that I decided to one day write my stories and make sense out of them.

TMT: Do you have any plans for future books?

Amandeep Sandhu: Yes. I am just finishing my second book, Roll of Honour. I am already planning my third book.

TMT: What is the hardest part about having a book published?

Amandeep Sandhu: Finding a publisher. Especially, for someone like me who has no godfather.

TMT: What do you think are the largest differences between India and the United States?

Amandeep Sandhu: Efficiency and the work ethic. The people in the United States have built systems which work for them. Of course, it is not yet as equally beneficial as it could be, but you are getting there. India is a long way away from having such systems. 

TMT: Are there any American customs you disagree with?

Amandeep Sandhu: Not really. I do not know enough yet. However, I do question: how come the same people who live so well in external systems have difficulties at home.

TMT: Are there any Indian customs you disagree with?

Amandeep Sandhu: Corruption and divisions in society on the basis of ethnicity, language, region, castes, and so on.

TMT: From what you have seen of America and it's youth, what do you think are the main differences between their lives and the lives of youth living in India?

For more information about Amandeep's book, you can visit this site. If you would like to order his book, you may do so here.