Interview with the Author of the Year – Samridhhi Mandawat
Samridhhi Mandawat is a world-record-holding author who is widely perceived as the “Youngest female author to have contributed all her royalties for Women Upliftment“. She is a Padmashri nominee and has made a significant contribution to societal progress. “eCONomics: An Outsider Looking In“, “Unobliterated: Unspoken Emotions”, “Parables and Secrets”, “Inqueerable”, and others are among her best-known titles.
In a candid conversation with the humorous and fun-loving author Samridhhi Mandawat.
1. As we know you are the Author of the Year (Non-Fiction) for your book ‘eCONomics: An Outsider Looking In’, please shed some light on how it got started?
Well, economics is a subject that I am passionate about. Therefore, writing something about the subject has been consequential to what I have already read about and around the subject. Further, my interactions with economists, scholars, and academicians have always added to my knowledge. Speaking about my book in detail, say, I talked about culture and economics blending, which came out from the discussions I had with Dr. Ram Charan (Prof. Harvard Business School). And these contradictions like technology, religion, culture, and their blend with economics interested me more when I started looking for answers to the questions nobody asked – talking of the beacons of culture in today’s India, they are Bollywood and Cricket. Bollywood (plus the regional movie industry) is a multi-billion-dollar concern, and cricket, on the other hand, has a huge parallel economy in betting. This does not exemplify how a country looks for aid when it comes to child vaccinations and may even have such a subaltern avenue.
2. Talking more about the subject, what fascinates you the most? Also, did you feel any changes in your life after becoming an author in economics?
The entire subject fascinates me in its entirety. My interactions as a child have always been full of questions from ‘Where would all beggars go if all of us had money?’ to ‘Ever wondered about a Marxian nightmare superimposed on an information technology-dominated world?’. Be it the billionaires that straddled my imaginations, or people like me who are trying to comprehend the various nuances of this overarching subject, eCONomics, has so much to offer to the world with its broad spectrum of stakeholders that it caters to.
Answering the second part, I do feel a lot of changes in my life after being more fit by running marathons, doing cycling, and engaging in gardening. But me being an author is just as same as me being a consultant – it is the same person, just dressed differently. In addendum, being an author does make my parents proud and I equally enjoy the benefits too. But that is only one of the numerous things I do in life!
3. Any challenges or struggles you had to face during the entire process?
I wrote this book while working as a Policy Research Associate for Rajya Sabha under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. As a result, time was a major stumbling block. However, I was fortunate to have mentors such as Dr. Amar Patnaik (MP Rajya Sabha from Odisha), Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia (former Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission), Dr. Ram Charan (as previously mentioned), Dr.Sriram Divi, Dr. Nausheen Nizami, and Dr. Asit Acharya (my university professors and guides) throughout the writing process.
The most difficult component has been and continues to be managing time and prioritizing things in such limited time. But all we need is guidance and motivation, which my parents and mentors provided in spades.
4. How is Samridhhi in her personal life? What attracts you apart from writing?
Samridhhi is a very boring individual, who abstains from using WhatsApp and is found reading books or taking power naps on her way home. She is an extremely private individual. Her life revolves around her parents and sister, and she spends much of her time resting, eating, running, gardening, and skipping gym/yoga sessions.
5. As a writer and an author any words of wisdom you would like to share with your readers?
Umm, things I follow for myself is that I always try to be in my element. I am a straightforward person and write whatever is necessary for the world to know. I cannot filter things, I guess, I don’t have that in me. My parents and sister keep me humble, and I prefer having a smiling face even when I am dead/exhausted. Times, when I don’t feel good – I curl up in bed and listen to music and sleep. I own my consequences and try to keep things as simple as possible – by easily saying to people I like them, or by appreciating their dressing style, wishing everyone hello, praying to God every morning, and occasionally contributing my time teaching underprivileged kids.
6. Anything you feel your readers should know about you that you’d like to share with them?
I am passionate about many things but the common thread that ropes all my decisions is that I love doing things that have an empirical impact. My fascination with life, in general, provides me with the necessary ambitions to be progressive in life and my zeal towards my work gives me the necessary skill set I need to be called a social homo sapiens.
But one thing, I would recommend to the youngsters is – any superhero you follow, from Gandhi to Bhagat – both had one thing in common and that was both were ardent readers! Read as much as you can, and you are already in the 5% Club. I realized this late, nobody would invite you anywhere, you must create your own room/space, and that 5% Club, my friend – you should not miss!
Learn more at www.samridhhimandawat.com
