Short and crispyJulie Sam

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How did writing happen to you? Did you always aspire to become a writer?
Ever since childhood, I had the habit of writing a diary. I loved to pen down my secrets, my experiences and so on. My diary was my best friend. Yes, I always aspired to become a writer someday...

How did you happen to write this book? Do you have a favourite in this collection of short stories?
My experiences as a teacher took me to different places such as Mumbai, Panchgani, Bangalore and Ooty! However, staying in the hostel made me feel home sick. To overcome my loneliness, I started writing these short stories. They are mainly inspired from my life’s experiences. It took me five years to write this book. I have also done the illustrations in the book and some of them are from my Panchgani days. My favourite stories from the collection are Avinash and Rohan.

How did your degree in Psychology help writing this book?
It has definitely helped me to understand people better. I am able to look at people with an open mind and that has helped me to write more effectively.

As a child you had to fight a life threatening disease. How has that changed you as a person?
It was extremely tough, as I had to re-learn everything. My speech was garbled; I couldn’t recognise people and I had to re-learn to write with my left hand! But I got great support from my family members, teachers and friends. They encouraged me, included me in everything. They treated me like a normal person. That helped me in shaping my life.

How do you balance between being a writer and a schoolteacher?
My experiences as a teacher are plenty. Therefore, when I write, I have lots to share in the form of stories. So writing and teaching always go hand in hand!

What do you do when you’re not writing? How do you spend your free time?
When I am not writing, I like to teach children at the Spastics Society of India. In my free time, I love to listen to music and I also like to travel.

Are you penning another book?
Yes, I am.