Aliyyah Eniath's Blog

Surviving India – our first trip to Delhi and Kashmir

I went to India for a very specific purpose; my debut novel, The Yard, was being launched in New Delhi by Speaking Tiger Books, and the event was planned for mid-June. I’d never been to India before and neither had my husband (despite us being East Indian) who agreed to accompany me.

In truth, you cannot prepare a Westerner for Delhi. There are no words or imagery to express the reality of being on the ground there for the first time. June is the hottest time of year so the temperature outside when we landed was 41° Celsius. We grabbed our bags and booked a taxi at the airport—several agencies were hustling for our business—and found ourselves outside in the heavy air. We got into the taxi and dust blew across our faces in honking traffic as we maneuvered to our hotel.

Just accept it…and enjoy…

You can’t escape dust in Delhi. So prepare to hold your breath initially until you adjust and begin to breathe normally. You also cannot escape blaring horns in traffic—our taxi driver literally honked his horn all the way to our destination. This is just the way it is…so relax…

A cultural hub and divine food

We checked into India Habitat Centre (IHC) on Lodhi Road, close to the famous Lodhi Gardens, where my editor at Speaking Tiger suggested I stay, as her guest under her membership. IHC is a cultural hub in the capital—not your regular hotel for a tourist experience but a select place for intellectuals, artists, performers, writers etc. Here, I felt at home.

Notably, the members’ only restaurant Delhi O Delhi served the most sumptuous complimentary breakfasts and the most divine buffet dinners. We ate there every day! The dessert bar was the most satisfying with its Gulab Jamun, Aam Shrikhand and Phirni. These Indian desserts are perhaps what we’ll miss most.

Gothic fiction combines fiction with horror, death and romance. In these books, the setting and surroundings seem alive and vital. They are characters in themselves.

Think Wuthering Heights with its imprisonment, dark stairways, stormy weather, melancholy figures and ghosts; think Rebecca and her haunted Manderley. These stories always fascinate and enthrall.

In my novel, The Yard, the characters live in a family complex (called The Yard). This complex is alive with its ravine, cloned houses and sprawling orchard. There’s a haunting sense that its inhabitants, with their shared customs but differing values and contrary natures, are its instruments.

The Yard and its forces from within and without shape the lives of my protagonists. It haunts, humiliates, teaches and inspires. One must escape its clutches and begin anew. One must.

Today I reflect on my journey from high school teacher to magazine entrepreneur to published author. I take my husband’s advice and remember to breathe fresh air, and pause, to contemplate all I’ve accomplished.

It’s easy to ponder upon what’s coming, to worry about what’s undone. I worry about getting my novel, The Yard, out and having copies distributed in my home country. I worry that I’m not focusing on my day job. I worry that I’m not eating all the right foods or sticking to my gluten free diet. I can list 10 things I’m worried about daily.

So today, I decided to stop. Today I started reading The Fault in Our Stars. And I know we’re not always in control. We are what we are.

Things to be grateful for this week:

My husband has got my back! (I can relax a little)
My publishers are doing an awesome job! (Investing so much time and effort into my debut)
The Yard was featured in the Hindustan Times (India), The Pioneer (New Delhi), the Oman Daily Observer (Oman), and the Business Standard (India). Little victories as we move forward. http://www.hindustantimes.com/books/straight-from-our-bookshelf-riveting-tales-of-travel-greed-and-love/story-NBgsaEcII9Ud0uHSbVEGdP.html

I entered A Woman’s Write literary competition in 2014, before I signed with Speaking Tiger. The editor Barbara Scott loved the complexity of my novel, The Yard, and gave me additional tips to make it even stronger. Today, it’s official! The Yard is their front page success story. Please have a look. www.awomanswrite.com

PS – If you’re a budding author do contact Barbara for any guidance; she’s amazing!

The Yard (Speaking Tiger Books), a literary romance by Aliyyah Eniath, is now released! The Kindle version can be purchased on both Amazon.in and Amazon.com. The paperback will be released in the coming weeks. We invite you to purchase the Kindle version and post honest book reviews. Should you need complimentary copies for print review please inquire at info@safaripublications.com.

The Yard

Dear Friends,

The publication date for my novel, The Yard, is coming closer (finished all edits, and the layout is being done). Meanwhile, I’m on Speaking Tiger’s international catalogue (Click here to download catalogue) with some impressive authors. Little victories as we move forward

Hi Guys, click the link to view my wacky talk with Kumaar Brogodia, broadcasted in India and online, discussing my upcoming novel The Yard (Speaking Tiger Books), to be released next March in Delhi. I was so nervous, hope I did well!

Dear Friends,

Amazon Kindle LitFestx (India) is the first online platform of its kind, allowing both bestselling Indian authors and newbies (like myself) an opportunity to connect with a live and vibrant audience. I’ve been lucky to be invited to speak at such an esteemed festival, from the comfort of my home, about my upcoming debut novel, The Yard. You can see my session live on October 31st, 9:30 am, Trinidad time. I was also very pleased to listen to other women writers on this platform. Please click the link and enjoy the talk sessions.

http://www.litfestx.com/schedule/

I will most certainly remind you closer to the date of my session so you can stay tuned. Many thanks for the support you have shown me.

A few of my favourite books.

Dear Friends,

I wish to share my dream with you, and what I consider to be my life’s work. Over the last seven years, I’ve given birth (not to a baby as my mom hoped) but to a work of fiction, now sold to Speaking Tiger Books (speakingtigerbooks.com).

My debut novel, The Yard, was submitted to numerous literary agents all over the world, and was thankfully accepted by Renuka Chatterjee, formerly Penguin Books India) who submitted it to my current publisher. We anticipate the book would be launched in March 2016 in New Delhi.

The novel is set in Trinidad, and the plot evolves around the adoption of an abandoned boy into an Indo-Muslim familial compound on the island against the wishes of some. The work straddles that sweet spot between literary and commercial fiction.

I invite you to be part of my journey; simply subscribe to my mailing list to read about my path to publication and follow the launch and tour in India. (aliyyaheniath.com).