We caught up with Bengaluru’s much loved author, Andaleeb Wajid. The prolific writer, who has woven warm-hearted and relatable stories, speaks about her journey as a writer. Excerpts:
More Than Just Biryani is one of your most popular books. What kind of responses did you receive for it?
I received a lot of good responses, especially teenagers. Many people have even tried the recipes in it.
More Than Just Biryani was thought of as a recipe book. What prompted you to turn it into fiction?
I have always been more of a storyteller than a writer. I am not fond of cooking, but I love to read and write about food. If I would have written a recipe book, then I would have to try all the recipes which seemed like hard work for me. The idea if writing it as fiction came to my mind when we went to Hong Kong for a vacation. A small part of the story is set in Hong Kong.
Can you tell us something about your work of the time travel Tamanna trilogy?
The three books are No Time For Goodbyes, Back In Time, Time Will Tell . Part one is about a girl who time travels and goes back in 1982. I wrote this book in 2012 so I set the time in 1982 i.e. 30 years back. These books will make sense only if you read all the three.
Could you tell us a little about your latest book, The Crunch Factor...
The Crunch Factor is a story about the romance between a food photographer (heroine) and a chef (hero). It is also about the rivalry between two chefs.
It is a recipe of romantic adventures mixed with love for food, and topped with a dash of friendship.
Along with The Crunch Factor , an e-book available on the Juggernaut app was also released titled A Sweet Deal. It is the story of Rumana who runs a cafe in a posh Bangalore neighbourhood. Trouble begins when a patisserie opens next door and its annoyingly charming owner, Daniyal, has everyone eating out of his hands with his sophisticated creations. But when Daniyal steals Rumana's secret recipe, all hell breaks loose.
How much of yourself is reflected in your books?
Initially, there was a lot of me reflected in my books but now it is very little. For me, it has been a learning process to separate myself from my characters.
Do you have any advice for writers who want to get published?
I think patience is necessary for a writer. The process of publishing is long and takes at least one year after the contract is signed and the book is published.Believe in yourself, have a little faith in your editor’s abilities and have an open-mind.
