Kusum Sawhney Biography and latest books by Kusum Sawhney

Kusum Sawhney is a controversial writer who has penned Wych Stories, a collection of short stories and two novels - Ayãla and Kindred Spirits. Her works of fiction address uncomfortable issues related to abuse, passions, sexuality and oppression.
 

Kusum was born in the U.K and lived in Africa, before she moved to Delhi, India. She has been residing in Delhi for more than 15 years now.
 

In her works the protagonist generally goes through a lot of trauma and unsettling situations. The story is complete with dark situations getting darker with the turn of every page. "The subject matter is heavy and that is why my style is simple so that the meaning is understood,” she says in an interview.
 

Before you discard her writings as provocative she adds, "It is deliberate and I am choosing to be provocative. I am addressing women\'s issues, and these deep-felt issues like incest are my priority. I deliberately want to shake people out of their indifference." She has always maintained Ayala\' is not a nice story and she never wanted to write one. A reader once told her that she was disgusted when she read the first rape scene and she said, `Well! That is exactly how I wanted you to feel!"
 

Kusum Sawhney is deeply influenced by the works of authors like Salman Rushdie, Gabriel Garcia Marques, Amy Tan, and Timothy Mo.