To write, I think one must sit in one place and be bored. Boredom is a very good state for writers to be. Things cook away in your head when you're bored, and suddenly one day, you have a book or a germ of a book. Neel Mukherjee bookboreboredom share on social
Innocence is a pretty dangerous thing, you know. Revisit Dostoevsky's 'The Idiot' or, for that matter, Greene's 'The Quiet American' to find out how destructive it can be. Neel Mukherjee americandangerousdestructive Change image and share on social
Nostalgia is a particular affliction of immigrant fiction, and it's led to a kind of sclerosis of the form. I hate nostalgia, and I feel it's good to be aware of the politics of these genres. Neel Mukherjee afflictionawarefeel Change image and share on social
To be an Indian writer is to write, necessarily and inevitably, about politics, so it was a given that the story of the Ghoshes, the family at the centre of 'The Lives of Others,' should have a political soul. Neel Mukherjee centrefamilyghoshes share on social
I'm much more attracted to the miscegenation of cultures than to harmony. Neel Mukherjee attractcultureharmony Change image and share on social
I had just begun an M.A. in Creative Writing, and I had to write a novel, so I began writing a novel that later became 'A Life Apart.' Neel Mukherjee begincreativelife Change image and share on social
I have one very bad experience with a U.K. publisher, who gave it out to be understood that she wanted to publish my book and made me do a lot of changes, all outside a contract, only to reject it in the end. Neel Mukherjee badbookcontract share on social
Writing a book is as difficult or as easy as any other job. Everyone's job is difficult. So to fetishize difficulties in writing as something extra-difficult or something very privileged - I don't buy that at all. Neel Mukherjee bookbuydifficult share on social
India introduced Britain to vegetarianism - see Tristram Stuart's excellent first book on this - and it is possible, indeed all too easy, to be a vegetarian in India and eat extraordinarily good, varied food every day, with very few 'repeats.' Neel Mukherjee bookbritainday share on social
Fiction can either be a mirror reflecting you back to yourself or it can be a clean pane of glass looking on the outside. Neel Mukherjee backcleanfiction Change image and share on social
