Jaipur’s Young Author Sensitizes the Society about Assaults on Women in her Book ‘Litany of Woes’

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Jaipur’s young female author, Deepti Sharma expresses her anguish at the injustices of society in her book, ‘Litany of Woes’. The story revolves around a girl named Nida, who comes from a wealthy background and has yearned for love from a very young age. As the story progresses, it focuses on sensitive topics of the society like rape culture, homosexuality, religion, feminism, among other issues. Written in a straightforward manner in simple English, the book brings to the forefront the plight of women, who continue to be neglected in society. In a candid conversation with All About Jaipur, the author shed light on her inspiration for writing the book, protagonist of the story, challenges faced while writing, and much more.

You are a math teacher. How did you think of writing a book?

Actually it is like an author who turned a Math trainer! I got published just now but I have been writing since I was sixteen! Writing happened because I was very inspired by Anne Frank’s The Diary of A Young Girl and teaching happened because I love maths and am confident teaching it.Also, Maths is all about practicality while writing is all about imagination, it’s the perfect balance.

Give us a sneak peek into the story and the protagonist of the book.

Litany of Woes revolves around a young girl who, like any other teen, thinks that her life sucks! She doesn’t respect the divorce of her parents and her mother’s choice of remarrying. People can always get in touch with child custody attorneys when they undergo a divorce. She feels her life is too cruel to her and thus she searches for solace in every person she meets. Things turn upside down beyond scales she could measure and eventually emerges as an insensitive author who writes controversial books on the most sensitive topics of our society.

From where did you draw inspiration for writing this book? Did your personal life experiences play a major role in sketching the characters and the theme of the book?

Just like any other teenage girl, I too was horrified by the things that happen to women in our society. There were questions and questions but no answers to be found, anywhere or by anyone. I began with writing articles about these issues but no newspaper seemed to have an outlet for just another raging cry. It just struck me on a Sunday morning to write a book about it. Of course I didn’t want to preach and that’s why fiction. I began reading and researching and then writing, simple. Never for once I doubted or regretted my decision despite all the fancy teen dreams I’ve always had about my debut. I made sure I was responsible and careful with the genre.

No, I personally didn’t face any such thing in my life but I always thought about girls who went through this. How do they overcome that trauma? How do they sleep after that incident? How do people behave with them? Do they trust anyone in their life again? What would they do if God makes them omnipotent for a day?

How long did it take for you to write the book? What was your writing schedule like? What are some of the challenges you faced in writing this book?

I wrote the entire outline, chapters, and characters in one day! Then I elaborated them over next three months. I wrote daily for more than six hours. Then Ilooked for an editor and once the book was in a better shape, I started searching for a publisher. All big publication houses rejected it because a) it was lengthy and b) a risky subject for a debutante author. And this took like a year and a half which was disheartening but now when I receive the reviews for it, it all feels like worth it. It is so satisfying to see that I’ve done justice to my idea, the issues and most importantly, the genre.

Jaipur is a well-known hub for art, heritage, and literature. And since you hail from the Pink City, did it inspire you in any way in writing this book?

Well, definitely! There is a saying about my city that Jaipur is a blushing bride draped in pink, dancing in our dreams while the peacocks sing. Jaipur Literature Festival, Jaipur Art Summit, the palaces of Amber, and even the food and festivities everything is so enchanting. But the delightful aura of this city that I call home, nothing can top that.

My book has elements like palaces, desert safaris etc. but I see Litany of Woes as a story of an irrefutable spirit clad in juvenile innocence. A strong denial to surrender, come what may! A tale of substance, an elaborate history with a tint of regal blush in spots, quite like my city.

How has the pandemic been for you? Did you plan any more books during this time?

The Pandemic has been amazing! Before it, my parents were working, I was working out of Jaipur, my siblings were busy in their college and theatre, so the pandemic brought us all together. We cooked delicious food, watched classic movies, played songs all the time, made funny paintings, and slept without counting hours. Yes, I just finished my next book titled Fake Posh, which is a short-story collection.

You can order your copy of the book from Amazon or Flipkart and the follow the author Deepti on Instagram for more interesting updates!