WRITING TALES FROM THE LEGAL DOMAIN

Author Interview: Sonia Sahijwani Saini

Sonia Sahijwani Saini is a law graduate from Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi. She is working as Assistant Manager Law in a Maharatna Public Sector enterprise at its Marketing Office at Chandigarh. Her debut novel ‘Yours Legally- A collection of short stories’ has recently been published by becomeshakespeare.com. In a candid chat with Chirdeep Malhotra, she talks about her latest book, her writing journey, her favourite books and authors, and much more.


Please tell us more about Sonia Sahijwani Saini as a person.

Well that’s a tough one to describe oneself! So I feel that Sonia Sahijwani Saini as a person is always content with what she has but is never satisfied and looking for more and more in her life which I believe is a good thing. I recently read in a book ‘Walk the Wire’ that one must be content but not satisfied and I really connected to it and felt that this one line describes me aptly. I am an emotional person, I have been told that I have a dual personality which looks hard from the exterior but has a very soft and vulnerable interior which is true in my case. I have always kept my academics and my overall self growth and development on equal pedestals in my life and have always strived to be 100% committed and determined to achieve what I set my hands and eyes on.


Has writing always been a part of your life? Or did you chance upon it later on and then instantly fell in love with it?

Yes, as far as my memory takes me back, I have always been in love with reading and writing. Since childhood, books of all genres and varieties besides usual course books captivated me and thanks to my father, we developed the habit of reading at an early age. To compliment it, I always had a knack for writing and was involved with the editorial team of my school magazine from class 5th itself. My first poems ‘Phir Aaya Basant’ and ‘Pareeksha ke ek din pehle’ were self composed and got published in my school annual magazine and it brought immense happiness and satisfaction to me. Writing a book and becoming an author has been my dream and I have always envisioned it day and night. Through articles for school, colleges, company in house journals or by the medium of my blog, I feel I have always been writing and it remains my first love.


Can you tell us more about your book “Yours Legally”?

“Yours Legally” is a collection of six short stories related to the interesting and unusual field of law which have been narrated through the eyes of Sia, the protagonist of my book. These are independent yet connected stories having the common elements of Law, Sia and Humanity. The book is based on and inspired by real life incidents and events which I was fortunate enough to experience and witness and stories which I felt needed to come out in the literary world. The 6 stories are based upon the six elements I feel are critical to the field of law: the complainant, the court, the case, the counsel, the crime and the criminal/accused. It has been written in a way that it appeals to not just those who are a part of the profession but even those who might not have ever stepped inside the court nor heard anything about the law.


How has the response of readers been to your book?

Luckily, the response has been great so far. I had aimed that my book appeals to everyone and not just a certain section of people and I am glad I have been able to achieve that to some extent till now. From the young to the old, boys and girls, from law students to lawyers to those who are in no way connected to the profession, everyone has loved the stories and I have been told through the reviews that a part of Sia was left with them at the end of each story. Reading as a habit is losing its charm with the advent of social media and I deliberately kept the length of my book small to 116 pages so that readers don’t have to spend a lot of time to finish it and most of them have read it in one sitting itself.


What type of research went into writing this book?

I am the kind of writer who does not want to take the reader to a fantasy land which does not exist in real life. My style of writing is very real and connected to our daily lives. I want everyone to connect to my characters, to the events and the stories I am narrating and to achieve this, the biggest research into writing this book was to be observant to the events happening around me and to be able to pen them down in a way which would reflect the story appropriately.


Apart from your experiences in the law field which you have incorporated in the book, are there any similarities in the protagonist Sia and you?

Yes, I also said it during an interview recently at my book launch, the name Sia has been carved out of my own name i.e. Sonia. Sia is a lot like Sonia and Sonia is a lot like Sia. Apart from the fact that both are young law graduates determined to make a mark in the field, both are bit impatient, keen on trying various opportunities and love challenges in every way. Sia, like Sonia is a huge SRK fan, an avid reader who always carries a novel in her handbag, and also hates an extra cool strong air conditioned room. The biggest similarity between the two is that both think and act from their heart in their personal and professional lives as well.


What are your favourite books? Can you share with our esteemed readers about the genres that you like and your favourite authors?

I have always been fascinated by all sorts of genres, from fiction to thrillers to romance to motivational books and autobiographies as well. Jeffrey Archer and John Grisham remain my favourite authors for their sheer skill at keeping the reader at the edge and engaged till the end. I also admire Khaled Hosseini for the way he weaves emotions in his narration. Among Indian Authors, I have been an avid reader and admire Anuja Chauhan for her wit and satire, Jhumpa Lahiri for the way she narrates stories, Khushwant Singh for his brutal honesty and Amitav Ghosh for his language skills. The Eleventh Commandment by Jeffrey Archer, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and an interesting book Shantaram by Gregory Roberts remain my favourite books.


What do you think is the literary scenario in contemporary Indian English fiction?

These days, it seems there is a literary boom, kind of a revolution. With so many authors opting for self publishing and promoting their books mainly through social media (including me), I feel writing has reached a whole new dimension. However, I still believe there are too many books and too less readers and one needs to really have a strong story coupled with strategic marketing to reach the right reader. We have a lot of young authors these days which is inspiring and authors are experimenting with unconventional topics as well. But, I am someone who lives in the past and I believe that we still have a long way to go to match up to the stalwarts of Indian English Fiction writing.


What are your other interests apart from writing?

As I mentioned earlier, reading is my second love apart from writing. I also love to travel, am an avid movie buff and watch almost all sports unlike others of my gender.


There are many new writers and poets who are aspiring to get their work published. What would you say to them?

I would like to motivate them by saying to have belief in themselves, in their writing and to write from their heart without having any commercial thought in mind as to whether the book will sell or not. One needs to feel while writing and it should come across in the story as well. Also, be pro active in marketing your book because trust me, though there are many book promotion companies and websites, you have to do everything on your own. Keep promoting and marketing your book and try to engage with as many readers as possible.


Can you share with our readers a motivational quote that keeps you going?

My favourite quote since childhood is ‘We meet to separate, and separate to meet again’. I believe everything happens for a reason and each person comes into your life for some purpose and he/she leaves when the time is right. The one whom I am meant to meet will return in my life again.