1. Writer, translator, literary historian, what does Rakshanda Jalil like to do in her free time?

The notion of 'free time' doesn't really apply in my case. I am a full-time writer.... that's ALL I do. I quit all forms of gainful employment a couple of years ago so it isn't as though I have a day job and writing is something I do on the side with some free time left over for leisure activities. To tweak Descartes, 'I write; therefore I am.'  When I am not actually writing I am thinking about what I should be writing!

2. A book/s which you would like to read again and again.  

Almost all books by Jane Austen are books I have read over a period of time and would love to read again and again. A particular favourite is her Pride and Prejudice. I love the felicity of her writing and her ability to write, in a luminous sort of way, about the ordinary and the mundane. I am traveling at present and carrying her Sense and Sensibility with me. It's a joy to read Austen and to be delighted afresh each time by her.

3. How do you see social media?
I see social media as a powerful and inescapable force. I hear a lot of people moan and groan about it. In fact a veteran Urdu writer whom I had gone to interview many years ago said to me he envied people like Ghalib (the iconic Urdu poet of the 19th century) who wrote his poetry as he pleased and that was that ... he was not expected to talk about it, give interviews and generally help broadcast his work. While there's some truth in the fact that writers have increasingly become performers, especially when it comes to book promos, lit fests, book launches, I don't think we can throw the baby out with the bath water. Yes, it's true that the more tech savvy and/or media savvy authors have an advantage over others who are not, social media can come to the rescue of those who don't wish to turn into 'performers' but nevertheless do want to reach out to larger audiences. I personally find facebook very useful. I try and use it mostly if not exclusively for my writing or speaking engagements -- and try and keep my personal life away from it -- and I do think it helps my work get greater visibility.

4. What are your views on feminism? 

No sensible person can be against feminism in its most basic and essential sense. I have no patience with otherwise smart young women who are well educated and seemingly liberal who claims they are not feminist. How can that be? How can one turn one's face away from the very obvious gender inequality we see all around us? It's like saying 'I don't believe in poverty!' Of course there is a gap between rich and poor and of course there's gross inequality between the sexes. It saddens me the way this inequality is practiced and perpetuated. It also makes me angry.

5.Your view on literary events and their role in promotion and expansion of Literature. 

I think it depends on one's personality. Those who are more affable and like to hangout or network possibly derive greater benefits from literary promotions and festivals. I am not especially social or outgoing, so I don't attend these festivals with the intention of making friends or useful contacts. But I do see these occasions as a good way of getting out of one's comfort zone and every once in a while I do meet a fellow writer whom I admire and stay in touch with. For others of a different disposition, litfests provide a great space -- and ambience -- to fraternise. Having said that, in real terms, except for a passing and temporary sense of self importance I am not entirely sure how literary festivals actually benefit a writer. At best, it might give one a good feeling to be acknowledged by one's peers. About literary events generally, I think the line between literature and performance has become so blurred that unless one is being witty or charming or provocative one is not considered successful at these events . It has increasingly become less about the book and more about the author. I find that the least attractive thing about publishing in India today. Possibly the intention about literary events and even litfests was good to begin with -- I think it was about celebrating literature -- but somewhere along the way it became more about grabbing eyeballs, getting more footfalls and claiming more media space. Somewhere along the way, literature became a casualty.

6.Tell us about your book/s.

Oh dear.... that's going to take some time! I have written over 20 books and over 50 academic papers. I have stopped counting now. But there are four edited collections of short stories, ten works of translation, a collection of my own short fiction in English, a book on Delhi's lesser known monuments, a biography of a feminist Urdu writer, a Ph.D. thesis on a literary movement, a couple of co-authored books. Next year is going to be a busy one with four more books coming out... a co-edited volume on partition, a translation of stories and poems by Gulzar, a translation of a novel by Krishan Chandar and a biography of the poet Shahryar.  Then there's Hindustani Awaaz, an organization I have been running single-handedly to position and promote Urdu language and literature since 2002.