A writer I admire a lot, but had never met or spoken to – Lalita Iyer – called me a few days back because she was writing a piece on mental health and illness for Outlook magazine.

We spoke with great ease, as if we knew each other for long. Here is a slice from that conversation about my mother, father, me, life, choices, larger society.

Please read here…

in May this year, Dr Mathew Verghese from the Medico Pastoral Association invited me to give their 15 Golden Jubilee lecture. It was a proud moment for me to speak on ‘A Writer’s Reflection on Mental Health’ to a group of psychiatrists, psychologists, lay people. Who would have thought this would happen?

Please listen to the talk. The talk is about the making of my novel Sepia Leaves and my journey as a writer. It also dwells upon why I do what I do – work in the interstices of language and power.

If I can suggest, please listen. You can skip first 6 minutes and last 8 minutes. Click here …

I have shared this earlier but now the podcast has a permanent home. Hence placing it here. Thank you Ankit Narasimhan.

Please listen …

It has been 15 years since ‘Sepia Leaves’ was published. The book remains in circulation. Each year, many request copies. I keep sending them far and wide.

A few days back, a new mental health platform MyndStories conducted an interview with me on the book. If I can say this myself: it came out very well.

The podcast is in English – 55 minutes, 55 seconds. I think worth your time. Do listen. We talk about the book, care giving and self care. Thank you Ankit Narasimhan and Smitha Murthy.

a few days back Prerna Shah from The Good Story Project got in touch and we did this interview around mental health, writing and Sepia Leaves.

Please read here…

late in October, Preeti Gill invited me to participate on a session on Mental Health and Illness titled Let the Light In.  Nirupama Dutt, Gayatri Gill and me discuss mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic with Ravi Singh, Speaking Tiger Books.

Please listen here …

Dear Friends,

thank you for all your wishes for the translation of ‘Sepia Leaves’. As I said in that post, every few weeks there is a new friend reading, talking, commenting, sharing about the book. I feel very satisfied that the book continues to resonate with us.

Here is a new blog I accidentally tumbled upon. Reader Smitha Murthy says, ‘Simple prose, haunting images, and relentless in its portrayal of the author’s beautiful family, ‘Sepia Leaves,’ reminded me of all the sepia-tainted memories of my life. The people, shadows, ghosts, thoughts, scars, words – all brought up in vivid technicolor. This book isn’t perfect. Just like us. And that’s perfect.’

Thank you Smitha.

Please read here … ]]> https://www.amandeepsandhu.com/?feed=rss2&p=1980 0 https://www.amandeepsandhu.com/?p=1967 https://www.amandeepsandhu.com/?p=1967#comments Sat, 29 Aug 2020 05:37:05 +0000 aman http://www.amandeepsandhu.com/?p=1967 Dear Friends,

Humbled that we keep talking about Sepia Leaves 13 years after it first appeared. Also, A Book of Light in which the updated Epilogue to Sepia Leaves appeared. In fact, humbled we continue to talk about all these books.

Thank you!

Please read here …

on Mother’s Day this year, Jaya Nigam posted her comments on Sepia Leaves. As I said earlier, even 13 years after the book was published, every few weeks I get one or more messages about the book. The book evokes personal memories. It continues to live in the readers’ hearts.

I love it that Jaya has written in a language other than English – the language in which the book is written. Thank you Jaya! My respect to Jaya’s Mausi. May she find peace.

Click image to enlarge.