Dark Things – A fantasy novel set in a world populated by Yakshis, Gandharvas, Apsaras and Blood Queens finds its feet in Mumbai yesterday as actress Vidya Balan launched the book before media and audiences lending her support to former journalist and debut novelist Sukanya Venkatraghavan. One of the most exciting fiction debuts of this year, Dark Things, published by Hachette India is a heady concoction of fantasy and romance.
At the book launch, Sukanya shared a lovely tete-a-tete with Vidya discussing her experience of writing the book, what inspired her and her love for the fantasy genre. Vidya’s appreciation for the book shone in the conversation.
Talking about her debut as a novelist, Sukanya Venkatraghavan said, “People often ask me why I wrote Dark Things. The answer is really simple. I took Toni Morrison’s famous advice and wrote the book I wanted to read. Fantasy has always been my world and stepping into universes other than ours has been a favourite past time of mine. Dark Things is the product of one such trespassing.”
Actress Vidya Balan, an avid reader herself, said, “I’m loving reading Dark Things. Sukanya’s vivid imagination and imagery transports you to a realm where you no longer know the difference between the real and the fantastical. The writing is absolutely exciting and reminds me of J.R.R.Tolkien.”
Avanija Sundaramurti, head of marketing at Hachette India, said at the occasion, “We are so excited to publish Sukanya’s debut novel. The winner of the bestseller hunt that we had run a few years ago, she has a formidable imagination that sparkles through each page. You can’t put the book down once you start and that’s the real test for any novel!”
