Women's Day: Picture books are the toughest to write for, says Sandhya Rao

A book you outgrew and grew into again
Can’t think of any… Don’t think can read Enid Blyton again and can never outgrow Paul Gallico.

A classic you'd like to have written
No chance. I am a faithful reader.

A character you wish you'd met
Mme Ramotswe

An author you want to meet on the other side
Stieg Larsson, Astrid Lindgren

Inside jokes or references that found their way into your writing
Often, it’s references to Astrid Lindgren’s observations, books, characters.

As you work, you listen to
Silence

Writing, editing, translating: how you switch modes
By listening to my instinct, responding to my mood, and of course, the deadline.

Picture books are...
The most challenging genre to write a text for. Also, fun!

Handling 'tough' subjects for children…
Calls for simplicity and honesty. It has to come from conviction, from within. It cannot be spread over like jam or chutney. The book(s) you've gifted most
Changes each time. The books I’ve written, of course, because I get copies when they are reprinted and many of my friends have grandchildren the right age! Also, books I’ve enjoyed such as The Blue Horse by Nandini Sen, and Meeting Mrs Sargam by Shubha Mudgal. Your personal mad tea party guests
Pippi, Mme Ramotswe, Bertie Wooster or Jeeves, the puppets from Love of Seven Dolls (Paul Gallico), among others.

If you were in a murder mystery, your choice of weapon would be
The murderous look?! A book-based movie you liked better than the book
Hmm, I usually like the book better, much better. Although I did enjoy the film version of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society very much… A female character you think an author did disservice to
I don’t think the author did disservice to her, but I would have wished Lisbeth Salander a happier future (but then, her definition of happiness would be different from mine).

A woman or girl in history you wish had got a different ending Rani Padmini… what was the point of her death?

Mona Sahlin…could have been prime minister of Sweden; instead had to step down due to financial fraud (extremely reprehensible in Scandinavia, not surprising in most other parts of the world).