Alka Joshi – Favourite Things

Alka Joshi is an author who was born in India and raised in America. For 30 years, she ran her own advertising and PR agency before her husband encouraged her to enrol in a creative writing programme aged 51. Her first novel, The Henna Artist, which came out in 2020, was a bestseller and was quickly followed by a sequel, The Secret-Keeper of Jaipur, in 2021. She is currently researching the third book in the trilogy and a screen adaption of The Henna Artist.

These are a few of Alka Joshi’s favourite things…

Indian Food

It was my first solid food. Rice and yoghurt. Semolina and jaggery. Eventually, I graduated to curries made with eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower, squash, and less frequently, chicken and lamb. What a burst of flavours. Cumin, coriander powder, ajwain, cinnamon, saffron, fennel seeds and on and on. Then came a time when, as a new immigrant to America, kids wouldn’t sit next to me because I smelled “funny.” It was the curry! I begged my mother to make American food — hot dogs, hamburgers, spaghetti — and she complied. But in my 20s, I began craving the food of my childhood once again. Now, if I don’t have Indian food at least once a week, I miss it. And when my family gets together, it’s always around Indian food.

Jewellery

I loved my mother’s fashion sense growing up. She was always in the latest sari, the trendiest pearls and the coolest hairstyle. She would often let me wear her necklaces and rings around the house when I was little. She mixed 24-carat gold necklaces with costume pearls and silver bangles, and always looked amazing. That’s what encouraged me to develop my own style. Now I combine pins from the Modernist period with estate rings and silver Rajasthani cuffs, creating a very personal style, and people notice. 

Whodunnits

I picked up my first Agatha Christie novel when I was twelve and devoured as many of her mystery novels as the library offered. I admired Miss Marple’s keen understanding of human nature and loved Hercule Poirot’s eccentricity. I only wish Christie had written more for those two characters because I quickly ran out. As I matured, I picked up Scott Turow, PD James, Walter Mosley, Ngaio Marsh, Elmore Leonard, Ken Follett and various authors writing in that genre. I still love a good whodunnit, especially where character trumps plot. 

Orange

I can’t remember who first told me that the colour orange signifies creativity and sensuality in the sacral chakra. I didn’t even know what a chakra was at the time. But it helped explain why I was always drawn to that colour in clothing, bedding, and art. I even had my front door painted in bright orange gloss. Now I know it’s the colour of one of seven energy wheels in our body. Finally, I understand why I’ve always been an artist whose writing is sensory and sensual. And why oranges, mounds of turmeric, a monk’s saffron robes or a Monarch butterfly’s wings make me happy.

Walking with a friend

Every week, I walk four or five miles with one friend or another — sometimes several of us walk together. An extended walk helps me connect with those I care about because we all have busy lives and somehow, walking in the fresh air makes us feel better than having lunch or coffee together. We stop to admire the ocean waves, the leaning cypresses, the cottages of our neighbourhood. My dog Coco accompanies us, so she gets to see one of her favourite “aunties” too. When Coco and I are not with a friend, I use the long stroll to think about my characters, scenes I still need to flesh out and where my story is going. It’s the best way to get “unstuck”.

Enjoyed Alka Joshi’s favourites? Explore last week’s Favourite Things here.