We recently approached Vivek Shraya, author of She of the Mountains
Tell us a bit about yourself!
I am an artist. I write, sing, take photos and make films!
What do you write?
I have written a collection of short stories, a novel, a book of poetry and a children’s picture book.
Why do you write?
Often, my writing has been tied to wanting to bring visibility to the intersection of particular identities, like being brown and queer, or social issues like racism and misogyny.
What do you like to read? And why do you read what you do?
I tried to read a variety of different styles but generally I read a lot of fiction. A writer’s second job is to read.
Do you have any weird writing quirks?
I Q-tip my ears when I have writer’s block and it actually works!
What are you working on at the minute?
My new children’s picture book, The Boy & the Bindi, is out this fall.
Did anything surprise you about the writing process when you first started?
I wrote my first book after years of songwriting and it was surprising to realize that I had so much to say through storytelling that I wasn’t able to say through music.
Ebook or paperback?
Paperback!
Any advice on writing or marketing?
Be on social media. It’s free publicity.
What is your ultimate goal?
To be making art that is challenging, inspiring and unpredictable and to have that art be financially compensated.
And finally, the golden question… how do you feel about comic sans?
I love using comic sans ironically.
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