Saraid de Silva
We are delighted to share with you an interview with Saraid De Silva, author of Amma
'I couldn't put it down - a moving, heartbreaking (and repairing) family drama. The writing is gorgeous, transporting, powerful: this will be one of the big adult novels of the year' The Spinoff
Singapore, 1951 When Josephina is a girl, her parents lock her in a room with the father of the boy to whom she's betrothed. What happens next will determine the lives of generations to come. New Zealand, 1984 Josephina and her family leave Sri Lanka for New Zealand. But their new home is not what they expected, and for the children, Sithara and Suri, a sudden and shocking event changes everything. London, 2018 Arriving on her uncle Suri's doorstep, jetlagged and heartbroken, Annie has no idea what to expect - all she knows is that Suri was cast out of the family before she was born. Moving between cities and generations, Amma follows three women on very different paths, against a backdrop of shifting cultures. As circumstance and misunderstanding force them apart, it will take the most profound love to knit them back together before it's too late.
What does a day in the life of Saraid de Silva look like?
The answer to this isn’t very exciting I’m afraid! If it’s a weekday then I’m up quite early to write or answer emails before work. Then I bike to work in Henderson, where I write and edit scripts all day. Then when I’m home I’m usually working on other things (writing), or walking up to Karangahape Road to see friends if I’m lucky!
Amma is an intergenerational story across three time zones and eras. It deals with difficult and emotional themes, and does not shy away from the dark side of history. What inspired you to write a story of this scope?
I guess life has scope. It would be weirder to write a story without it, wouldn’t it? I guess you can hone in on a person’s life and tell a really intimate or static story. But it would still have scope. Even something like A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam, which takes place in only a few locations and has almost no dialogue, has great scope. Because people do and life does.
Can you speak a bit about what was it like to write your first novel- what did you learn and what challenges did you face? Do you think the next one will come soon/ be easier?
Well, it was really hard but I guess that goes without saying. I learned that writing fiction is my favourite thing, and something I will likely spend the rest of my life trying to do. I also learned that writing a novel requires a lot of your own strength and patience, but also the grace and patience of the people around you. At times I really had to isolate myself to do this, and I’m grateful the people I love gave me that space. I am currently trying to get funding to write the next one. I don’t think it will come super soon, but I have started it!
You were a playwright before evolving into an author, will you continue working on plays or hone your focus on novel writing from here? Are there similarities in the way that stories are told in these two mediums?
I hope my focus is on writing novels from here on out. I’ve said this so many times before, but again it’s very unlikely that will be possible. I love writing, reading, and going to plays. But [writing a novel] is so much work because it exists solely within the location which it is presented in. Which is the beauty of it I guess! Probably there are more differences than similarities. But across both mediums, I am very interested in the way space is used. The way it is responded to and how it informs a story. In where the scene is set and how can the narrative and the characters embody- or are deeply affected by- that setting. The best stories do this very well.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
When I didn’t make it as an actor!
What practices, rituals, or habits do you have to set you up for a day of writing?
Oh, this is a cool question because I did have to be quite disciplined to get this shit done. So I found I wrote best first thing in the morning. If I didn’t look at my phone until a couple of hours into my morning that helped too. I’m a person who is very easily distracted. But that’s just part of it really. It’s unrealistic to think you can maintain intense focus for hours. I mostly just force myself to sit at my computer for a certain amount of time and then at some point I (sometimes) stop thinking about how long I still need to be there. But it’s really just doggedness, that gets the writing done. For me.
How has your life changed since the birth of Amma into the world?
I don’t know if it has changed that much really! But I only just gave birth. I’m heading to the UK for the UK launch and some events for that so that’s quite a cool thing!
You are a passionate activist and have spoken publicly in support of palestine; if the world was yours for a day, what injustices would you put to rest, and initiatives would you put in place?
I wouldn’t call myself an activist. I know activists and I’m always in awe of and led by them. I think speaking up publicly in support of the people of Palestine is the absolute bare minimum that any non-Palestinian person could do right now. Immediately I would say ceasefire now, and grant the visas so that Palestinian whānau can join their loved ones here. But also, obviously, an end to the occupation and land back to all indigenous people around the world. Which would directly impact and improve the climate crisis. Land back and decolonisation by any means necessary is the basis for a better world and every other good thing we can achieve would stem directly from that. This is something I only know because of the indigenous activists I’ve been lucky enough to listen to and read.
You are allowed to invite five people to dinner, who are you inviting and why? And what are you cooking..!
I’m going to assume this is living OR dead and I’ll answer this with living and dead famous people only because otherwise I would just invite my loved ones who have passed on already. So Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Andrea Lawlor and Salman Toor.
Finally, what is next for Saraid de Silva?
I’m launching my book in the UK! I’m trying to get enough funding to write another one! I’m saving up money to buy a couch!