Cristina asked Roshani Chokshi:

What writer, if there is one that you can pinpoint, really spun you in the direction of writing the kind of beautiful, sometimes whimsical, always magical fantasy novels that you've most recently published? <3

Roshani Chokshi Awww thank you! <3 I'm not sure that I can point to one writer. Or whether that person was even a writer at all. For example, there are some artists whose works have deeply affected me and changed how I consider imagery. Off the top of my head, the ones whose works inspire me are Yayoi Kusama, Gustav Klimt, John William Waterhouse, Arthur Rackham (his Grimm fairytale illustrations haunt me), and John Bauer (who illustrated a glorious book on Swedish folktales). With authors, Angela Carter was one of the first writers I became aware of who played with language as much as she played with the source material. She made me think. She made me uncomfortable. Most of all, she made her work unforgettable. Poets like Nizami Ganjavi (who translated the ancient Persian love story of Layla and Majnun) or the Plays of Kalidasa settled into and shaped my dreams long before I realized they inspired me. Most recently, I've become a huge fan of Catherynne Valente (she can write dreams into existence) and Laini Taylor (who writes turns of phrases so magical that I'm stunned for days). Sorry for the super long answer! I'm not sure who spun me one way or another. I'm not sure it's even spinning so much as seeing. Artists are a lot like polished pieces of glass. We reflect. We aim for translucence. We allow the artistry of others not to render us invisible, but hopefully, to give us dimension. :)

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