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Radha Vatsal is an author based in New York City. She got her start shortly after welcoming her firstborn to the world, and produced the first draft of a novel in just one year. After an agent gave her the confidence to keep realizing her potential, she kept at it. Several years later, Vatsal’s essays have been featured in The New York Times and The Atlantic, and her fiction works are available at your local bookshop. However, her favorite work to date isNo. 10 Doyers Street,a historical crime novel about a female journalist from India. Vatsal’s advice to young artists? “The only thing you can control is your work–the effort you put in, the kind of art you make. And if that makes you happy, then no matter the outcome, you’ll be fine.” Read on to learn more about Radha Vatsal and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts!
Name: Radha Vatsal
Heritage: South Asian
Hometown: Bombay (now Mumbai)
Current City: New York City
Current project: No. 10 Doyers Street(a historical crime novel)
What are some of your favorite credits/projects:
My current favorite is my new historical crime novelNo.10 Doyers Street,about a woman journalist from India who becomes involved in the case of the Chinatown gangster, Mock Duck, and his young daughter in 1907 New York. It’s based on some pretty shocking real events and it took me several years to write. I’m on tour now talking about the book and my research, as well as showing slides of the people and places in the story. It’s very gratifying to find that people are interested in that untold history.
Any advice for young people getting into the arts?
It’s all about the journey. You might get into the arts thinking: I want to write a bestseller, I want to be a famous movie star. But all that is out of your control. The only thing you can control is your work–the effort you put in, the kind of art you make. And if that makes you happy, then no matter the outcome, you’ll be fine. More than that, you find that fulfillment comes through the work you do... and that's wonderful.
How did you get your start?
I started writing after my first child was born. I gave myself a year to write a novel and I would write while my baby napped. I finished the first draft in a year–but it was short! Still, it showed me that I could write an extended piece of fiction, and then I was determined to keep going. I showed it to an agent who thought it had potential. But it was only after I fully finished that I really started to think about next steps and how to get published.
Do you have any favorite moments in your career that you'd like to share?
I love connecting with people at book events. In 2016, I participated in a mystery novel festival organized by the Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop in central Pennsylvania. When I got there, I suddenly felt nervous because I wasn’t sure how I or my work would be received. It turned out to be one of the most fantastic events I participated in because I was able to connect with a different group of readers than those I met in New York City. And that’s what makes writing so rewarding–the connections you make with all kinds of people–young, old, from different backgrounds–whom you never imagined might enjoy your work.
What have you found is the biggest challenge in your career?
Publishing is a difficult business. I feel that the bigger publishers are looking for very specific types of material. That’s why it’s important to really know what you want to write and not worry about the outcome. If you try to write about trends, you’ll quickly find yourself adrift because trends are continually changing.
What are some interesting facts about yourself?
I studied Russian as a teenager and spent two summers in Russia. One summer I interned at the Russian Ministry for Environmental Protection, and the other, I took the Trans-Siberian railroad from Moscow to the city of Blagoveshchensk in Far East Russia. It was an incredible trip but also dangerous–I really felt I was in the middle of nowhere with no one to help me if anything went wrong.
What skills did you find to be the most helpful in your career?
Perseverance. Writing is a solitary business. Only you can keep tabs on yourself and make sure you keep going until your essay or novel is done.
What are some goals you hope to achieve?
I don’t have specific goals but I always like to push myself. I write fiction and non-fiction, even short stories. I try out different perspectives and voices. I think writing in different styles helps you become a better writer overall.
What do you love most about what you do?
I am never bored! And if I notice that I’m heading in that direction, I know I’ve made a wrong choice—in subject matter or what a character is doing, and quickly change course. If I'm entertained, then I figure that my readers probably are too.
What helped you most to rebound from what you considered your biggest failure or mistake in your career?
Perseverance again. You’re going to make mistakes, things aren’t going to work out. That’s just a given. What matters is how you respond. You have to keep going.
What genres do you most enjoy writing?
I write historical novels, essays, and short stories. I like to have fun when I’m writing and I want readers to have fun too, and maybe learn something they didn’t know before or maybe see things from a different angle.
To find out more on Radha Vatsal, please visit her at:
Website: www.radhavatsal.com
Substack: radhavatsal.substack.com
Instagram: @radha_vatsal
Facebook: facebook.com/radhavatsal
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