India, April 20 -- Your book Wrestling Day released recently. What was it like to create a book with Naga characters and set in Kohima, which is rare for Indian children's publishing in English?

It was a dream come true. I ventured into writing children's books because I couldn't find any children's picture books that featured Naga characters or places to read to my own children. One can ask or try to persuade other writers only so many times to fill that gap. So, I wrote my first picture book titled Ukepenuopfu, a retelling of an Angami origin myth, with my own 'masala'. Locally, it was a great success because it allowed many parents and children to see themselves and their lifeworld in a book for the first time. When Sayoni Basu asked ...