A conversation with Sanya Khurana, author of One action, published by Bluerose Publishers
1. What was the reason behind penning down your thoughts? The major reason behind writing down the book -- 'One Action : Towards women's dreams and ambitions' was to empower women in India towards their dreams and ambitions through Lean In Circle , a small group of people that meet regularly to help each other achieve their goals and ambitions, and by taking small actions in their lives. I want to see a world where people are not judged on the basis of their gender and where no one feels the pressure to be someone or do something on the basis of the gender roles created by society. 2. What kind of feedback are you expecting? I am expecting all kinds of feedback. I know my book is definitely going to change mindsets -- well I know it is going to change the destiny of so many families in the country. But I am completely sure that it is going to make a lot of people uncomfortable as well. The bug of patriarchy has become so big in our minds, that a lot of men and women are going to feel uncomfortable reading about gender equality. There are so many of us who have accepted the lives and have decided to become blind sided about the wrongs in the world -- that we don't even want to see the change. People getting uncomfortable with the thought of women's freedom is a sign, that we need more such books, more such voices by more people in the country. 3. How long did it take for you to write the book? It took me two years to complete the book. Well, I had a full time job going on by my side. But more than that, I went through an entire emotional roller coaster while writing the book. When I started doing the research on the condition of women in the country. The statistics on female foeticide, dowry and sexual harassment in India were heartbreaking. I remember penning down the story of a woman being groped on the street and crying while writing the story in the book. On the other hand, I really got inspired when I started interviewing the women who had gone against all odds and changed their lives and the lives of so many people around them. So those ups and downs prolonged the process of completing the book. 4. Are you working on any upcoming books?
Well, I haven't thought about a book now. But yes, I do have some topics in my mind that I can write about. I have already started reading and doing some research on unhealthy relations, managing emotions, being vulnerable and trusting people at workplace -- all based on my personal experience and a lot of research and data. So you will either see some blog posts around these topics, or maybe another book in a year or so -- let's see !!
1. What was the reason behind penning down your thoughts?
The major reason behind writing down the book -- 'One Action : Towards women's dreams and ambitions' was to empower women in India towards their dreams and ambitions through Lean In Circle , a small group of people that meet regularly to help each other achieve their goals and ambitions, and by taking small actions in their lives. I want to see a world where people are not judged on the basis of their gender and where no one feels the pressure to be someone or do something on the basis of the gender roles created by society.
2. What kind of feedback are you expecting?
I am expecting all kinds of feedback. I know my book is definitely going to change mindsets -- well I know it is going to change the destiny of so many families in the country. But I am completely sure that it is going to make a lot of people uncomfortable as well. The bug of patriarchy has become so big in our minds, that a lot of men and women are going to feel uncomfortable reading about gender equality. There are so many of us who have accepted the lives and have decided to become blind sided about the wrongs in the world -- that we don't even want to see the change. People getting uncomfortable with the thought of women's freedom is a sign, that we need more such books, more such voices by more people in the country.
3. How long did it take for you to write the book?
It took me two years to complete the book. Well, I had a full time job going on by my side. But more than that, I went through an entire emotional roller coaster while writing the book. When I started doing the research on the condition of women in the country. The statistics on female foeticide, dowry and sexual harassment in India were heartbreaking. I remember penning down the story of a woman being groped on the street and crying while writing the story in the book. On the other hand, I really got inspired when I started interviewing the women who had gone against all odds and changed their lives and the lives of so many people around them. So those ups and downs prolonged the process of completing the book.
4. Are you working on any upcoming books?
Well, I haven't thought about a book now. But yes, I do have some topics in my mind that I can write about. I have already started reading and doing some research on unhealthy relations, managing emotions, being vulnerable and trusting people at workplace -- all based on my personal experience and a lot of research and data. So you will either see some blog posts around these topics, or maybe another book in a year or so -- let's see !!