Alisha ‘Priti’ Kirpalani lives in Mumbai along with her husband, two daughters, one cat and over a hundred board games. From full-length novels to blogging to micro-fiction, she is known for the impeccable language and insightful nature of her writing.

Alisha 'Priti' Kirpalani, Author of 'Out With Lanterns'
She is the author of ‘Out With Lanterns’ a genre-breaking novel about the discovery of life, love and everything in between.
and
‘A Smattering of Darkness’ a collection of short and shorter twisted tales dealing with the human psyche.
She was acknowledged as a top writer in Feminism for her blog on Medium. https://medium.com/@alisha_k.

Out With Lanterns

Out With Lanterns

You venture out into the night, armed with lanterns, looking for yourself. You navigate this path ridden with complexities, questions and undefinable emotions. And sometimes, if you’re really lucky, you might just find love.
‘Out With Lanterns’ is a genre-breaking novel that traces the delicate, yet intricate nuances of human relationships. It is not just a story about love. It is a tale about the tumultuous journey life sends us on.
Karin Mehra, a mother of two, is happily married to Raoul. Yet she feels empty and getting older adds to her alienation, stirring up trouble in her mind and marriage.
In a chance encounter, she meets the younger and charismatic Aksh Soni, a successful writer, who is in a complicated, long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Sia. Drawn towards each other, despite all that is at stake, Karin and Aksh lose themselves in a secret world of their own.
The choices facing them are difficult. Should they hurt the ones who love them for the beguiling promise of an ideal relationship sizzling with cerebral chemistry? The shades of life and love are not black and white. There are no heroes and no villains. Are these boundaries too heavy a price we pay for being but human?

We will talk with Alisha about her book ‘Out With Lanterns’


 

What is the story behind your book ‘Out With Lanterns’. Where did you get your idea for the book?

“You venture out into the night, armed with lanterns, looking for yourself. You navigate this path ridden with complexities, questions and undefinable emotions. And sometimes, if you’re really lucky, you might just find love. “
These lines best describe the story of Out With Lanterns.
The idea for the book came to me overnight but I had met the characters over a long period of time, in most of the men and women I knew.

Challenges you faced while writing this book and in your life as an author?

Balancing a family life and the life of an author is a tough act. Something always seems to come up just when inspiration is flashing. Finding time mentally and physically, was the most challenging part of the process.

What is your life mantra?

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

What is your writing process like?

I write late at night, into the wee hours of the morning. It’s the time I am most productive.
I have an unconventional structure to my seemingly erratic process. I usually have my ending figured out and often written, before I write the beginning. Finally, I flesh out the middle to get the story to its final destination.
Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Anything special about your book ‘Out With Lanterns’ that you want to share?

Out With Lanterns’ was written with one mission in mind. I wanted to write a book that I would want to read and reread, if I was the reader. It’s an emotional rollercoaster ride into the minds of men, women and their search for identity while conforming to the dictates of relationships around them. The challenge was to create a fair and delicate balance of the male and female perspective and the workings of their inner selves. There is no judgement on the actions of any characters, just a recognition of the dilemmas of being human.
Language, structure, imagery and literary devices are a hallmark of my writing and I have played around with many elements in this novel, including an epistolary format peppered with chapters.
This novel is a result of passion; passion for the written word and for the universal human condition.

According to you, what are the three qualities an author must have to achieve success?

Persistence, patience and promotion. Then pray that Lady Luck is on your side.

What are your plans for next book?

I have an interesting short story collection in the making. A celebrity autobiography is on the cards too.

What advice do you have for young writers?

Stay true to yourself. Have a unique voice. Your book should be a reflection of you as a writer, not an inspired version of someone else.

Share a quote or line that has been your inspiration.

A writer without interest or sympathy for the foibles of his fellow man is not conceivable as a writer.
– Joseph Conrad

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