Kiran Desai on Artists as Thieves, Magpies, and the Loneliness of Mina Foi
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Moneycontrol•30-01-2026, 15:15
Kiran Desai on Artists as Thieves, Magpies, and the Loneliness of Mina Foi
- •Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai discusses her novel 'The Loneliness of Sunny and Sonia' and the character of Mina Foi, a divorced woman living with her parents in Allahabad.
- •Desai describes artists as 'thieves' and 'magpies,' ruthless in claiming stories and images, drawing parallels with the character Ilan.
- •The novel explores various forms of loneliness, particularly through Mina Foi's story, highlighting the societal branding of older single women as 'unlucky'.
- •Desai emphasizes the importance of accuracy in storytelling over worrying about a global audience, using personal memories like bank locker visits.
- •Water imagery (snow, ocean, clouds) serves as a 'connective tissue' in the novel, symbolizing transformation and the unseen world, influenced by Yasunari Kawabata's 'Snow Country'.
Why It Matters: Kiran Desai delves into the artistic process, societal loneliness, and the intricate themes within her latest novel.
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