334: The Unexpected Female Protagonist — Interview with Veena Rao

Hey there word nerds!

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Veena Rao.

Veena Rao is the author of Purple Lotus: A Novel (She Writes Press), as well as founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of NRI Pulse, a popular Atlanta-based Indian-American news publication. She is in the Limca Book of Records as the first Indian-origin woman to edit and publish a newspaper outside India.

Veena Rao has a background in print journalism, having worked on the news desk of The Indian Express in India, and a couple of community publications in Atlanta as editor. She has a Masters’ Diploma in Journalism and Communication from Symbiosis International University and a Masters’ in Economics from Fergusson College, India. 

She has been featured in several major Asian print publications including the BBC Telugu, the Hindu, Indian Express, Gulf News, the Khaleej Times, India Review etc. She currently lives in Tucker, GA.

In this episode Veena and I discuss: How her life circumstances forced her creative writing to take a backseat and how she got her writing life back. What skills her journalism background afforded her when approaching difficult topics such as domestic abuse and mental illness. Why She Writes Press was a great fit for the kind of book Veena wanted to write. Plus, their #1 tip for writers.

For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/334