ANEES SALIM WON the Kendra Sahitya Akademy Award 2018 for his novel The Blind Lady's Descendants. But it was not an easy ride till here. At 16, he decided he wanted to become a writer, dropped out of college, and began to travel a lot. “I lived in penury and had to go without food many nights,” he remembers. Because of a debilitating illness, he had to return to his hometown, Varkala in Kerala. “Back home, I shut myself in a room and wrote all day, and my parents were really worried,” he says. He kept writing like a man possessed, refusing to be defeated by every rejection his manuscripts got. Eventually, however, his hard work paid off when he won the Hindu Literary Prize in 2013 for his book, Vanity Bagh. Since then, there has been no stopping this talented writer. In an interview with THE WEEK, Salim talked about the autobiographical elements in The Blind Lady's Descendants, how he juggles writing and his job in advertising, and how being a dropout has made him a better writer. Excerpts.
How much of The Blind Lady's Descendants is autobiographical?
It is autobiographical in some ways. For instance, the family structure of the protagonist is similar to mine. My grandmother was blind and poor like the one in the book. The setting, which is my hometown, is also real. And l have tried to sketch the people l have grown up with.
Do you regret dropping out of college? A sound education might perhaps have made you a better writer.
I do not think l am cut out for academic excellence. Probably it is the insecurity because of this that helps me write better.
How do you manage to be so prolific despite having a demanding job in advertising?
I start my day very early at 4am, and write till my family wakes up. Sometimes, [at work], l skip lunch to write. Once l have the manuscript in shape, l usually go somewhere abroad to disconnect from the rest of the world for a fortnight or so, to work on the book.
Tell us about the early experiences that shaped you as a writer?
I always wanted to be a writer, thanks to the big library at home. After dropping out of college, I travelled across India. This journey took me to different places, which I used as backdrops for my stories. I used fragments of various cities to create a fictional one called Mangobagh, in which The Vicks Mango Tree and Vanity Bagh were set. My hometown is the backdrop for The Blind Lady's Descendants and The Small-Town Sea, but l have left the setting unnamed.
What is your biggest fear as a writer?
That words will fail me all of a sudden.
You always choose to avoid the limelight.
I am not comfortable meeting people, holding up my book and facing the camera. I have never attended a book launch in my life, neither mine nor anyone else's.