My style of writing is to allow the story to unfold on its own. I try not to structure my work too rigidly.

People think that because I write about India I must be trying to portray India in a way.

When I was very young, I used to share much of what I wrote with my family, but as I got older and more self-conscious, it became a much more private process.

Do you know anyone who would - secretly, sincerely, in his innermost self - really prefer to return to childhood?

The book begins and ends with the visits to give the impression of a tunnel into their ancestors and family history. I believe in going backwards into the past - I felt I was digging a tunnel back to the past.

Someone who wants to write should make an effort to write a little something every day. Writing in this sense is the same as athletes who practice a sport every day to keep their skills honed.

I try to trace the connection between the characters and that way a story or plot emerges.