First Timer

That was my first book. Let me see if I can give you a glimpse of the journey I undertook. It has always been my dream to write. Since childhood, I was drawn to writing. The bug bit me when I was in Grade 8. I started writing in my diary (it was an orange coloured AGFA company diary, I recall).

We were on a family trip to Darjeeling in West Bengal, that haunt of Himalayan wildflowers, cold bracing breezes and exquisite vistas of the venerated peaks.

Something awoke in me at the time. I came back absolutely throbbing with the beauty of nature I had witnessed. Since I couldn't draw, I wrote - it was as simple as that.

From then on, I fed my writing habit, scribbling furiously in journals throughout my teenage years. The dream to be a journalist was the next step. I followed the path required, and soon acquired a different set of skills. I began to take an interest in current affairs and learned all about the world of newswriting. I worked for newspapers and magzines, honing my skills in observing, and conveying my POV succintly. Seeing my byline in print added fuel to the fire.

My next goal was to write a book. Easier said than done, I'm afraid. When I tried to break into the Canadian writing world in early 2000, it was essentially a closed one. I tried without success to get my writing published in literary journals.

On the way I learned a number of things. You have to pitch your idea to the publisher first. Then if they bite, you write a proposal. Only if they like your proposal will they ask you to sign a contract. That's what happened to me.

In 2004, I finally signed on the dotted line and started writing this book. It was published in September 2005. When I first held the book in my hands...what can I say!