[Music]
[Applause]
No
No
no it can’t be done it just doesn’t work
I’ve heard that so often that now I
don’t want to hear it ever again too
much to choose from I get 500 a week who
has the time to world risky the mother
is the antihero it won’t work it’s going
to sink without a trace I was told mark
my words without a trace some of the
comments were a bit cruel I do hope your
manuscript is better written than your
sign OPS’s the first book will sink
maybe you will be noticed with the
second or the third have patience I
groaned I did have another idea this was
it
you know it’s a bit like gasping for
breath when the smog-filled smoke or the
smoke-filled smog chokes you you never
really wonder what goes into the
atmosphere
you take fresh air for granted let me
change that I come from Delhi we no
longer take fresh air for granted and we
do watch pollution I have wandered into
libraries like you and to bookshops and
seen thousands of books on so many
shelves how did they get there who wrote
them someone must have someone must have
published them I wondered how my first
manuscript left me gasping I really
wanted to get published I wanted the
story to get to you
but I didn’t know how every time a
publisher sent me a rejection I felt bad
every time I didn’t hear back from an
editor I took it personally enough cried
my tired brain I had worked really hard
and was ready to give up I deleted my
manuscript from my laptop I used to run
past quickly to avoid even catching a
glimpse of the postbox
I left emails on unanswered and when a
letter did finally reach my desk I
shoved it aside words that I dread came
back to me tread softly
tread softly I whispered to nameless to
faceless editors with big names and
titles for you tread on my dreams I
nursed a bruised ego found myself in
tears very often because the manuscript
meant so much to me I nearly gave up and
that would have been it but hope comes
in different forms JK Rowling had 21
rejections said my daughter and look
where she is now
added my son you have only 15 they told
me where to go I rolled my eyes fifteen
rejections they repeated way to go
somehow they jolted me out of my misery
had put aside my bruised ego at and got
on with it I pulled back my manuscript
from my central
I looked at all the rejections and
actually tabulated the negative comments
I opened an excel sheet bring it on
I told the world bring it on and then
and then I worked I reworked my
manuscript
I edited I tightened the plot I polished
the characters and looked at all the
negatives turning them into positives
I had a manuscript that I believed in
but something else happened during the
process I no longer needed the big five
and publishing to validate my
self-esteem I wasn’t waiting to be
discovered by a literary agent anymore
I had an authentic story and at and a
different plot maybe too different I
realized that for the big publishers I
was a risk I was one more Indian author
who had written in English the market
was full of us so I changed my
expectations and my strategy like most
first-time writers you will find some of
my soul on those pages like most
first-time writers I had written about
something that I felt deeply about
something that hurt and needed to be
told so I got down to doing it I had
been advised to write about poverty love
and loss look at writing stories about
the eternal problem mothers-in-law
versus daughters-in-law or mythology
it’s very in
a publisher had told me but I had none
of that I stuck it out and stood firm on
my ground
I looked for I I had flung away the list
of top publishers and literary agents
but now I made a different list I made a
list of publishers who were also India’s
largest distributors I needed someone
who had the courage were bold dynamic
and less risk-averse and I found them
for every tunnel at the end of every
tunnel there is light
they took my manuscript and made the
negative comments from lead to gold my
book which had been written off climbed
up the charts I was an India stop 10
list and stayed there at reading
sessions women wept and opened up they
told me stories that paralleled what I
had written they said it was a
reflection of their lives New York Times
interviewed me it felt good I spoke at
the University of Oxford and at
Cambridge the oldest school in the world
organized a seminar to discuss the
themes of my book and yet I have to tell
you that it wasn’t easy to get there I
had written about paired patriarchy I
hold up a mirror to society in India I
had written about contemporary India
with its glory and its problems I wrote
about bullying on the play field as well
as bullying in families that continues I
write still do about how actions of a
generation can singe those that come
later
obviously I had very powerful detractors
it didn’t feel good when a senior editor
told me I’ve been advised to let my team
know that they are not to review your
book for my book launch whenever I call
someone they would say well we’ve been
told not to turn up for the book launch
it hurt
it really did but in some ways I made it
and so goes the story I really have no
one to advise you on careers because
I’ve lived a very unconventional life
I’m the same person who was told that my
talents were a waste that I wasn’t going
to cut it I was I wasn’t going to do
well that English literature didn’t mean
anything the subjects of the new world
were economics and maths my mother’s
voice haunted me I nearly gave up I was
told and this despite the fact that I
studied English literature at st.
Stephen’s College University of Delhi
how the world has changed this year
English honors had the highest cutoff at
Delhi University I was told that I would
never get into an MBA school no
half-decent school will accept you but I
did I went on to do my masters from the
London School of Economics and got a
full scholarship
I went on to work in the corporate world
and rose to CXO positions but I have to
let you into a secret promise not to
tell anyone else
I pledge to my strengths at the LSE I
applied to the only department that did
not require a math test or a GMAT I also
was in the communication team which
meant that my talent was valued life’s
been tough it really is it really has I
continue to have challenges but I live
by a quote and I’m going to share that
with you you never know how strong you
are until being strong is your only
option
Bob Marley said this and I believe in it
so don’t give up don’t give in stay the
course and remember creativity has no
start date it cannot be boxed it does
not come with an instructions manual
ideas cannot be put down and that is
your strength be the Pied Piper and
dance to your own music for whenever you
are successful it feels good
Mozart wrote his first symphony at the
age of 8 that doesn’t mean that teenage
musicians who Pro compose music or sing
and dance are old or not successful
unbox of fear of failure of not being
good enough unlock unlock your talent
unleash your potential go for it but be
smart if
I for the story begin yours today for
until the lion learns to write every
story will glorify the hunter so you
have a choice I made mine you have a
choice
are you the lion or are you the hunter
thanks
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
No
No
no it can’t be done it just doesn’t work
I’ve heard that so often that now I
don’t want to hear it ever again too
much to choose from I get 500 a week who
has the time to world risky the mother
is the antihero it won’t work it’s going
to sink without a trace I was told mark
my words without a trace some of the
comments were a bit cruel I do hope your
manuscript is better written than your
sign OPS’s the first book will sink
maybe you will be noticed with the
second or the third have patience I
groaned I did have another idea this was
it
you know it’s a bit like gasping for
breath when the smog-filled smoke or the
smoke-filled smog chokes you you never
really wonder what goes into the
atmosphere
you take fresh air for granted let me
change that I come from Delhi we no
longer take fresh air for granted and we
do watch pollution I have wandered into
libraries like you and to bookshops and
seen thousands of books on so many
shelves how did they get there who wrote
them someone must have someone must have
published them I wondered how my first
manuscript left me gasping I really
wanted to get published I wanted the
story to get to you
but I didn’t know how every time a
publisher sent me a rejection I felt bad
every time I didn’t hear back from an
editor I took it personally enough cried
my tired brain I had worked really hard
and was ready to give up I deleted my
manuscript from my laptop I used to run
past quickly to avoid even catching a
glimpse of the postbox
I left emails on unanswered and when a
letter did finally reach my desk I
shoved it aside words that I dread came
back to me tread softly
tread softly I whispered to nameless to
faceless editors with big names and
titles for you tread on my dreams I
nursed a bruised ego found myself in
tears very often because the manuscript
meant so much to me I nearly gave up and
that would have been it but hope comes
in different forms JK Rowling had 21
rejections said my daughter and look
where she is now
added my son you have only 15 they told
me where to go I rolled my eyes fifteen
rejections they repeated way to go
somehow they jolted me out of my misery
had put aside my bruised ego at and got
on with it I pulled back my manuscript
from my central
I looked at all the rejections and
actually tabulated the negative comments
I opened an excel sheet bring it on
I told the world bring it on and then
and then I worked I reworked my
manuscript
I edited I tightened the plot I polished
the characters and looked at all the
negatives turning them into positives
I had a manuscript that I believed in
but something else happened during the
process I no longer needed the big five
and publishing to validate my
self-esteem I wasn’t waiting to be
discovered by a literary agent anymore
I had an authentic story and at and a
different plot maybe too different I
realized that for the big publishers I
was a risk I was one more Indian author
who had written in English the market
was full of us so I changed my
expectations and my strategy like most
first-time writers you will find some of
my soul on those pages like most
first-time writers I had written about
something that I felt deeply about
something that hurt and needed to be
told so I got down to doing it I had
been advised to write about poverty love
and loss look at writing stories about
the eternal problem mothers-in-law
versus daughters-in-law or mythology
it’s very in
a publisher had told me but I had none
of that I stuck it out and stood firm on
my ground
I looked for I I had flung away the list
of top publishers and literary agents
but now I made a different list I made a
list of publishers who were also India’s
largest distributors I needed someone
who had the courage were bold dynamic
and less risk-averse and I found them
for every tunnel at the end of every
tunnel there is light
they took my manuscript and made the
negative comments from lead to gold my
book which had been written off climbed
up the charts I was an India stop 10
list and stayed there at reading
sessions women wept and opened up they
told me stories that paralleled what I
had written they said it was a
reflection of their lives New York Times
interviewed me it felt good I spoke at
the University of Oxford and at
Cambridge the oldest school in the world
organized a seminar to discuss the
themes of my book and yet I have to tell
you that it wasn’t easy to get there I
had written about paired patriarchy I
hold up a mirror to society in India I
had written about contemporary India
with its glory and its problems I wrote
about bullying on the play field as well
as bullying in families that continues I
write still do about how actions of a
generation can singe those that come
later
obviously I had very powerful detractors
it didn’t feel good when a senior editor
told me I’ve been advised to let my team
know that they are not to review your
book for my book launch whenever I call
someone they would say well we’ve been
told not to turn up for the book launch
it hurt
it really did but in some ways I made it
and so goes the story I really have no
one to advise you on careers because
I’ve lived a very unconventional life
I’m the same person who was told that my
talents were a waste that I wasn’t going
to cut it I was I wasn’t going to do
well that English literature didn’t mean
anything the subjects of the new world
were economics and maths my mother’s
voice haunted me I nearly gave up I was
told and this despite the fact that I
studied English literature at st.
Stephen’s College University of Delhi
how the world has changed this year
English honors had the highest cutoff at
Delhi University I was told that I would
never get into an MBA school no
half-decent school will accept you but I
did I went on to do my masters from the
London School of Economics and got a
full scholarship
I went on to work in the corporate world
and rose to CXO positions but I have to
let you into a secret promise not to
tell anyone else
I pledge to my strengths at the LSE I
applied to the only department that did
not require a math test or a GMAT I also
was in the communication team which
meant that my talent was valued life’s
been tough it really is it really has I
continue to have challenges but I live
by a quote and I’m going to share that
with you you never know how strong you
are until being strong is your only
option
Bob Marley said this and I believe in it
so don’t give up don’t give in stay the
course and remember creativity has no
start date it cannot be boxed it does
not come with an instructions manual
ideas cannot be put down and that is
your strength be the Pied Piper and
dance to your own music for whenever you
are successful it feels good
Mozart wrote his first symphony at the
age of 8 that doesn’t mean that teenage
musicians who Pro compose music or sing
and dance are old or not successful
unbox of fear of failure of not being
good enough unlock unlock your talent
unleash your potential go for it but be
smart if
I for the story begin yours today for
until the lion learns to write every
story will glorify the hunter so you
have a choice I made mine you have a
choice
are you the lion or are you the hunter
thanks
[Applause]
[Music]
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