Sushma A. Singh

What was your favorite book as a child?

The pleasure of reading was inculcated in early childhood; during the long summer breaks with the sizzling heat outside confining us indoors, I would read at the rate of one book per day and was forever on the lookout for more. Memories of frequenting libraries to seek out the ones most admired are still quite lucid, notably Daphne Du Maurier’s evocative works of fiction, also the Diary of Anne Frank.

My favourite read in childhood however was not a book; rather, a short story, part of the school curriculum, “The gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, unforgettable to this day for its deeply engaging plot unfolding an intense bittersweet irony.

What was the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

As a practising orthodontist, my writing outside of my profession took a back seat, laying dormant for several years till a couple of years following my dad’s demise, himself a writer, from whom I inherited my love for the written word. One evening after leaving for home from my clinic, the seed of a story — I believe it was planted by my late father — sprouted in my head, too compelling to ignore. This was soon followed by some more and within a span of some months my debut book of short stories emerged in shape to be published!

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

Embarking on a journey of crafting lines (parallel to crafting smiles as an orthodontist) has been most thrilling and truly stimulating!

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

I do have an ear for good music and tend to be drawn to various elements of musicality in literature, particularly in poetry, yet I would rather not listen to music while reading/writing as I consider it a distraction.