Murder. Mystery. Matrimony.
Meeti was longlisted for the prestigious CWA New Blood Dagger in 2022 and for the Times of India Auther Awards in 2023 for The Death of Kirti Kadakia, her first Temple Hill Mystery. Prior to this, she has also written the critically acclaimed memoir, ‘Do You Know Any Good Boys?’ – A funny guide to the Indian arranged marriage – which was an Amazon bestseller in 2016 and has since then been optioned for screen. Before turning to full time writing, Meeti was a creative consultant and copywriter with an award-winning career in advertising, spanning over 16 years. Meeti graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai and holds an M.A. in English Literature from the Mumbai University. She writes from a small,
blue desk in Mumbai, where she lives with her husband, daughter and a dozen astonishingly sturdy houseplants. Her new book, A Matrimonial Murder, comes out in India in May 2024.
Meeti's Work
Meeti takes The Independent World's QnA.
Q1. Tell us about your journey.
Words have always been the lens through which I view the world. While walking on a street, I may not notice the colours of buildings, the makes of cars or the forks in the road, but I remember all the words I see. The names of the laundry, pharmacy and salon I pass, stick with me. That is how I navigate the city and make my way around the world. It is how I make sense of life. I’ve been reading and writing ever since I could spell. I was a chubby kid, clumsy with a ball, slow at langdi and inept at the great politics of the playground, books were my solace, the library my greatest refuge and writing in my diary, a prayer of sorts.
It seemed almost reflexive to major in English Literature and then pursue a career that revolved around words. For sixteen years, after graduating, I worked in advertising, and wrote copy and content for brands. The shoots, pitches and parties were exciting, but I wanted more. For someone to whom books were sacred and stories a first love, it seemed almost cowardly to not attempt one myself.
Q2. We would love to know a bit about your creative process.
I would describe my creative process more accurately as a creative grapple. I start off with an idea that I’m very excited about and then begins the grand struggle to work on it. You wrestle with the demands of the world, the distractions of social media and the slipperiness of your own procrastinating mind, to bring that idea into fruition. During the period between the conception of a project and the execution of it, you must accomplish a trojan-horse-like-deception and snatch your own time and mental space from the world and devote it to your idea – that is my creative process.
Q3. Which are your best pieces of work?
It will have to be the three books I’ve written: The Death of Kirti Kadakia, A Matrimonial Murder & Do You Know Any Good Boys? Each of my books took me two long years to write. And each book was born in the face of so much self-doubt and fear, that they are my fiercest acts of resilience. I am proudest of them and of all the love they’ve received from readers across the world.
Q4. What are the skillsets a successful writer must have?
A successful writer must be able to market themselves. People don’t talk about this as much as they should, but I’ve realized during the course of writing three books that it is no longer enough to write well – you must also be prepared to talk about your work and to do it often and consistently. Marketing is hard work and critical, I believe, for continued success.