Emerging Writers Series: Vidya Madabushi
“I know that publishing is a business and that, ultimately, I need readers, but I can’t think too much about them when I write. I try to focus on what the book is trying to do, and it may not necessarily be something that audiences like, but I worry about that aspect when it gets to the editing and publishing stages.”
I recently had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Vidya Madabishi’s Australian debut novel, The Days Toppled Over (2023), and was impressed by the breadth and depth of unique and collective cultural experiences she explores.
Vidya moved to Australia from India as a student, an experience that informs a significant narrative arc for one of her characters. Many readers are already pointing to the relief of feeling seen by this too-often-ignored reality.
For our latest interview instalment, I caught up with Vidya to learn more about her writing influences, how she tackles the writing process for different audiences - and why it ultimately all comes down to her exploring what she calls her “tiny sparks of light” in the dark.
The Days Toppled Over does a brilliant job of balancing between two worlds, spanning India and Australia. Where did your idea for the book originate, and what was your journey to publication like?
The Days Toppled Over began as two separate and unrelated short stories, one based around each of the siblings - Surya and Malli. I had been working on them slowly, with no timeline in mind, but when there was an opportunity for a grant, and I had to come up with the synopsis, the two stories suddenly seemed to intertwine. It’s not usually how I work, but it was a wonderful thing to happen, and I didn’t question the process too much and just gave in to it.
I hoped for publication in Australia but didn’t really expect it. I took internet advice and used Query Tracker to contact agents I thought would be interested in my work. It was a painstaking process with a lot of rejection along the way.
I was very lucky that I found Rach Crawford, who gave me a Revise and Resubmit and a log editorial letter, which I used to rewrite the book. About a year later, we went on submission, and I then signed with Penguin.
I love the way you explore cultural experiences and understanding of mental health through Malli’s mutism and her memories of her father. Why was this an aspect you wanted to explore in the book?
Thank you - a lot of writing for me feels like swimming in the dark with tiny sparks of light here and there to guide me and keep me afloat. I don’t think I set out to explore or depict cultural experiences explicitly, but I did want to bring an Indian sensibility to the book.
I’m interested in the different and distinctive pathways of thought one takes when coming from a specific culture or background. For instance, living at home beyond a certain age can be looked down upon in the Western world, whereas in India, it may be viewed in a positive light.
I often get reader responses from Australia that the reincarnation plot within the book is odd, whereas this is a fairly common belief in the part of India I come from, and interest in past lives, astrologers, palmists, and so on goes hand in hand with the other aspects of one’s life.
Often, a person with mental health struggles is viewed by society as the one who needs to change or seek help to cope with their issues. The onus seems to lie with them to do all the heavy lifting, but they are already struggling!
Through Malli’s journey, as well as her father’s, I ask if the responsibility to change should shift to others in the larger community. We see with both their storylines how connecting to someone struggling without putting them on a timeline to change or expecting them to become more ‘palatable’ can be transformative and healing.
I’d also love to learn more about how having a character who doesn’t speak impacted your writing - was it challenging to find ways to write around this?
Surprisingly, no. While Malli cannot talk to the other characters, the narrative stays close to her thoughts and emotions, and I was able to tap into her quite easily.
I did extensive research into people's experiences with Selective Mutism, and I let those experiences guide me.
You touch on essential aspects of the migrant experience of coming to Australia to study and the precarious situations international students can often find themselves in. What do you hope readers take away from Surya’s story if it’s one they’ve never encountered before?
When I was a student, I felt that the life I was leading, the struggles, the exploitation, the racism I encountered, all of it was invisible to the larger Australian public, although it all happened in plain sight. I wanted to pull back that curtain.
Your first book, Bystanders, was published in India in 2015. Have you experienced any challenges writing for an Australian audience versus an Indian audience?
I don’t think I know the Australian audience as well as the Indian audience, but to be honest, when I write, I try to free myself from the expectations of audiences.
I know that publishing is a business and that, ultimately, I need readers, but I can’t think too much about them when I write.
I focus on what the book is trying to do, and it may not necessarily be something that audiences like, but I worry about that aspect when it gets to the editing and publishing stages.
I’m curious about your bookshelves and any writers who have had a big impact or influence on your craft. Who are you reading that we know about?
As for influences - Camus, Marquez, Kafka. Dostoevsky, William Trevor, Perumal Murugan, Mohsin Hamid, Arundhati Roy, Aravind Adiga, Jeffrey Eugenides, Chimamanda Adichie, Maragaret Atwood… so many!
I just read Sanya Rushdi’s brilliant Hospital and am about to read But the Girl by Jessica Zhan Mei Yu.
And lastly, what’s next for you on your writing journey? Are you working on anything you can tell us about, or where can readers find you next?
I am writing freely, which means I am writing without any expectation of publication, and my words are currently shapeless.
Only time (and showing up for my work every day) will tell whether this writing will see the world. I certainly hope so.
Vidya Madabushi is an Indian writer living in Sydney. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Sydney, and her first novel, Bystanders, was published in India in 2015. Bystanders was shortlisted for the Tibor Jones South Asia Prize, and a previous version was longlisted for the Australian Vogel Award. In 2018, Vidya received the Writing NSW Grant for Fiction for the creation of this novel. The Days Toppled Over is her Australian debut. Find her online at vidyamadabushi.com/
Elaine Chennatt is a writer, educator and psychology student currently residing in nipaluna. She has a special interest in bibliotherapy (how we use literature to make sense of our lives) and is endlessly curious about the creative philosophies of others. She lives with her husband and two bossy dachshunds on the not-so-sunny side of the river (IYKYK). Find her online at wordswithelaine.com.
