Home Turf

Writer Siddharth Chowdhury on Day Scholar,his latest book
For any writer to admit that his ambition in life is to “avoid writing a lot” would be blasphemous,but Siddharth Chowdhury,author of the recently-released Day Scholar (Picador,Rs 250) merely shrugs when you point this out to him. “I barely do any research,I work mostly from memory. I think about the characters,and when I write,I usually do that on weekends. My books are done over a period of four years. Not writing a lot is quite easily achieved,” says Chowdhury.

His latest book too draws from Chowdhury’s familiar milieu — Delhi University; his Bihari protagonist from Patna is placed in Hakikat Nagar,the writer’s former residence during his salad days. But unlike his debut novel Patna Roughcut,that hailed him as the newest kid on the contemporary literature scene,Day Scholar has earned mixed responses. “There are people who don’t like my book at all and there are those who love it. Patna Roughcut also got good reviews only in the last year,” says the 35-year-old.

Surprisingly,it’s Chowdhury’s use of the language that has not gone down well with the critics. The invectives are sharp and the narrative is often bawdy. But the writer says it’s a deliberate effort. “I am very careful about language and rhythm. While Patna Roughcut was more flamboyant,Day Scholar is grittier and realistic,” says Chowdhury. The book was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize 2009,but it did not win the award. Chowdhury though admits he had a good time in Hong Kong in November “getting drunk with others.”

Despite the criticism,rumours of a prodigious advance for the book has long been doing the literary circuit,but the writer brushes it off. “It was generous,that’s all I can say,” he says. Incidentally,his next book will feature characters from his earlier books,he says. Will he move away from the familiar territory of Patna and Delhi in it? “These are the two cities I have lived for the most part of my life. I might write on Timbuktu if someone pays a good commission,though,” he laughs.