To Naddiyaa is based on the life, experiences and journey of Nadia, and is written by Kavya Sharma. Set in the 1980s, the book not only explores the idea of love between a husband/wife and mother/son, but also covers the theme of family dynamics/relationships and power dynamics within the family. Of how ingrained patriarchy within both the sexes can influence their behaviours and how on the ground level, it affects their personalities. The idea of what constitutes as “manliness” and “femininity” have been presented in an emotionally wrenching manner so much so that it affects the mental health of the prime characters.
“I always wanted to write books, I started writing poems at a very young age and then I went onto fiction. The fact that all throughout I stood my ground on this and was very clear in my mind that this is what I want to do in life, was enough to inspire me. Also the fact that my writings can influence people, can make them feel connected and can make them feel at ease is what keeps me going,” says Kavya Sharma about how her interest in writing a book began.
To Naddiyaa Kavya Sharma Publisher: StoryMirror Infotech Pvt. Ltd. Price: Rs 200 Pages: 186
She goes on to say, “I finished writing this book in England while I was pursuing my masters in creative writing, so as one of our daily writing routines, I had to write an emotional scene between a mother and son, where the mother is revealing some secret to her son. My professor was pretty impressed and encouraged me to write further, that’s when I decided to turn it into a novel. Also, as a writer you always end up taking bits and pieces of whatever you write from what you’ve seen happening very closely or have yourself experienced.”
About her passions, she says, “I recently edited and compiled a poetry anthology on the issue of mental health called The 7 Transgressions. Along with six other poets, I have contributed seven poems to the anthology. I am also working on a poetry book and my next novel,” she concludes.
