Namita Moolani Mehra is an award-winning children’s book author and the founder of social-impact business, Indian Spicebox, a company that has helped fund over half a million hot meals for underprivileged children in India. Namita’s published books include Veena And The Red Roti, The Light Within You and Anni Dreams of Biryani. She has also authored children’s cookbooks, including The Magic Spicebox and Superfoods for Superheroes. Namita crafts delightful culinary experiences like cooking classes and street food pop-ups, and currently lives in Singapore with her husband, two young children and a very cute puppy. Visit her online at namitamehra.com.
1. How did you begin your journey as an author?
I started out as a freelance food writer working for different magazines and blogs including Michelin Singapore and HuffPost. I then self-published a cookbook as part of a ‘spicebox kit’ –the signature product for my company Indian Spicebox. We sold thousands of Spicebox kits and cookbooks around the world helping to fund hot meals for underprivileged children in India. In 2014 at an international school fair where I was selling my spice products, I was accidently placed in the children’s book seller aisle and for several days hundreds of children came by to ask me about the spices. They had so many questions! That gave me the idea for my first children’s book, The Magic Spicebox which featured poems and recipes and was published by Scholastic India in 2016. I wrote another cookbook after that with HarperCollins India in 2020 and then got an agent the same year, which shifted my focus to the U.S. market.
2. What three things bring you joy?
1. My family. My husband and I have been together for 30 years (married for 20) we started dating when I was 16! Our two children are 6 and 11 years old and they have very fun and big personalities . . . they make us laugh (and sometimes cry haha!)
2. My puppy. We recently got a golden doodle pup and named him Simba. He’s adorable and very mischievous! He provides non-stop entertainment and chaos.
3. Travel. Discovering new places, eating new foods, getting a respite from the hot and humid Singapore weather and the daily routine brings me a great deal of joy!
3. Do you ever feel lonely being a writer? If so, how do you deal with that?
YES! Especially when things aren’t going well and manuscripts are crashing and burning on sub. Other than other writers experiencing rejection, very few people in the regular world understand what that rejection feels like and how challenging the process is.
Fortunately, I have an in-person SCBWI picture book critique group here in Singapore and we meet almost every Wednesday. They are my saving grace! Not only does this critique group make my manuscripts better, but they are also my support system who truly understand the highs and lows of being a writer.
4. Where did you get the idea for this book? What was your inspiration?
Veena And The Red Roti is the story of my grandparents who fled their home state of Sindh after the British left India in 1947 and the country was divided by religion into India and Pakistan.
I grew up listening to stories of Sindh where my grandfather and his family lived in a big mansion surrounded by mango orchards. They would go in carriages to picnics at the beach and munch on dried venison. They would go to horse races in Karachi. They were wealthy and educated and then overnight they were left with nothing but the gold bangles on my grandmother’s wrists. Because of the growing violence, they had to suddenly leave their beloved home and cram into a freight train in the middle of the night to survive. They arrived in refugee camps in India where the conditions were not great and the roti, made with red millet, was dry and hard . . . nothing like the soft and ghee-soaked wheat roti of home.
My family’s heritage and history, their courage and resilience, was my inspiration for this book.
5. What was the most challenging thing you faced while researching and writing this book?
The biggest challenge was figuring how to write a story for children about a tragic and true historic event that would be appropriate and appealing to younger readers. What is the right tone for such a story? The Partition is the biggest mass migration in the world where 14 million people lost their homes and over 1 million people died. My grandparents lost everything, but they survived. With courage, creativity, and perseverance, they found new homes and rebuilt new lives. In all the years I spent with my grandparents, yes I felt their sadness when they spoke about the home they left behind, but I always felt their strong sense of gratitude and optimism. Despite what they experienced, they remained hopeful and resilient. I knew therefore, that this had to be the tone for my story.
6. If you read this book to a room filled with kids, what message would you want them to leave with?
I would want children to leave with a sense that no matter what—we should never lose hope.
I also want them to leave with questions. I hope my story inspires children to talk with their parents about the why. Given the current state of the world, I know that my book might trigger questions and thoughts…and I hope parents and teachers will encourage a healthy and open dialog.
After my book launch, I received many messages from parents thanking me for opening their children’s eyes to such an important and historic event that is hardly known or spoken about. One of my friends said to me: “It is not an easy task doing justice to your family's history but I'm so glad you have given them, and all those who experienced Partition a voice that will last forever more.” I couldn’t have said it better myself!
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