Rewriting romance with Sonali Dev
Hilarious, heartwarming and empowering. These are all words that not only flood the review sections of bestselling author Sonali Dev’s Bollywood-infused contemporary romance novels, but speak to her glowing character off the page.
Never witnessing female protagonists growing up prompted Dev to write her own. Whether it be fresh takes on classic Jane Austen novels, or innovative, page-turning Indian family dramedies, Dev’s passion for her craft mirrors her literary mission — proving that writing romance has the power to change culture and reimagine South Asian representation like never before.
Dev’s ninth novel, “The Vibrant Years,” is the first to be published under Mindy’s Book Studio, a boutique story studio powered by multi-hyphenate Mindy Kaling and Amazon Publishing that celebrates and supports emerging and established diverse voices from page-to-screen.
“There are so many talented women who are writing smart, juicy, funny stories, and I’m so excited that through Mindy’s Book Studio, I can help bring readers everywhere more books that reflect the diversity of our society,” said Kaling in a press statement.
“The Vibrant Years” trails the lives of three generations of unconventional and ambitious Indian American women as they embark on a journey of shared self discovery, and live their lives, vibrantly.
Dev spoke with the Daily Trojan ahead of her upcoming release about what this milestone means to her and the origin of her endless love for storytelling that blossoms from cover-to-cover.
The following interview is edited for brevity and clarity.
Daily Trojan: Thank you so much for being here and speaking with me. I wanted to start off by talking about your childhood. Tell me about where your love for writing stemmed from.
Sonali Dev: I was aware of inequities very early in life. My grandmother went to med school in colonial India, and was one of the first lady doctors back then. So being told that you could be anything actually meant something to me. I was actually seeing that. All of the lies culture told us repeatedly about what we had to do to be good girls, meant something to society but really didn’t mean anything to me. I had a very observant childhood because of this. My parents used to always say, “It’s amazing the things you remember.” That was one of the blessings I had. I saw. I saw where people were being unreasonable, or when things didn’t make sense to me. I think my need to write originates from my need to say things and to change the ideas people have about the things being said.
DT: I know Jane Austen has been a huge influence in your writing, what was it about her work specifically that fascinated you?
SD: I read her in middle school for the first time. Women were at the center and when they were, they desired things. They had enough self worth to expect to get those things. And, the main thing was that they actually got those things. There aren’t many stories out there with female protagonists. Lizzie Bennet was a character whose choice was destitution or marrying allegedly the eighth richest man in England. And when she met him he was, from her perspective, a complete jerk. She believed she was worth more. Despite having a choice between destitution or complete luxury, she said ‘no thank you’ because I deserve better than you. She wasn’t punished for her self-worth. Austen’s characters demanded respect and got it. This was something I wasn’t seeing in film, books, anywhere. When everyone around me believed women were better off silent, Elizabeth Bennet was loved for vocalizing who she was. She made it okay for me to be me.
DT: It just goes to show how powerful literature is for being that mirror to show you possibilities you couldn’t imagine. Why do you feel like it’s important to have representation in the media?
SD: As an immigrant from India, I was the norm. I didn’t have the experience of being othered in my home until I was equipped with the tools to deal with it. I grew up seeing myself in the media all of the time. My children, on the other hand, did not have that same experience. They did not have a single childrens book with an Indian American protagonist. And, you’re their age so I imagine you felt the same. I got to see my children deal with the pain of being othered before they knew they needed support. Knowing that I’ll never be able to internalize their experiences really informed the kind of parent I became. I brought an armorless thing into a world in which it would need armor. I knew, when I was starting to take my writing seriously and fighting to be published, I wanted the bookstore to be a space where the next generation knows they exist. Representation is the experience of seeing yourself at the center of stories. Which makes you realize that you can be the center of your own universe, too.
DT: You mentioned the early difficulties of being published. Talking to you it’s clear you deserve a space on every bookshelf, but for many underrepresented authors, this is sadly not the easiest process. What were some of those challenges you faced?
SD: When I started trying to sell my first book, nobody really cared to have me in any space. Publishing was overwhelmingly white. There were a lot of authors of color who had been doing this work for a very long time. But we were in a place where every time you took your story to someone, you were told ‘‘If people wanted to read books about Indian protagonists, there would be books about Indian protagonists.’ If publishing wanted something different, someone would’ve asked for it by now.’ And when we asked for it, we were told there was no space because it was all good. A lot of really good authors have been lost. It takes one muscle to write stories and another muscle to survive being told nobody wants to read your stories. The truth is, non-white cultures are full of fun, joy, celebration and escape. It’s more than a culture lesson. It has taken the work of a lot of people before I came on the scene.
DT: I come from a multigenerational home, and it’s so fun to experience similar interactions on the page. When Mindy Kaling’s Book Studio greenlights this witty and fun family adventure, I just want to know what your reaction was like. Tell me about the day you got the news and what her support meant to you.
SD: I have for decades now really admired the way Mindy does comedy and humor. She has changed the world for diverse creators and storytellers in media. I also really really enjoy her writing whether it is “The Office,” or “Late Night” (2019) or “The Sex Lives of College Girls.” You know, there is just a way in which she does humor and emotion rolled up together in this vulnerable space where characters can completely find themselves in painful yet hilarious situations. So when my editor called me, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. She said we need to set up a meeting for Monday. I was like, “Are you kidding me? I have to wait the whole weekend for this?” She said “Trust me, this is big. You’ll forgive me once you know what it is.” And, Mindy it was. Probably one of the only moments in my life where I was speechless for an entire phone call. I was so excited. Mindy’s team is incredibly professional, which does not surprise me at all. But the sense I had of being in really good hands and of being able to breathe because I felt so taken care of, that’s a completely new experience and it’s fabulous. I feel really well held up. That’s priceless in my eyes.
Dev’s latest release, “The Vibrant Years,” is out now digitally through the Amazon First Reads program. It will be available at bookstores nationwide on Dec. 1. It is currently available for preorder on Amazon.