“I can’t find my crystal ball at the moment,” says Monica Ali, when asked about the future of marriage as an age-old institution, given that young people the world over are increasingly choosing not to wed. But taking a wild guess, she posits that the tradition is going to be with us for a long time to come. “It is under great strain though,” she quickly adds, “as societies become increasingly atomised.”
Monica Ali’s new novel, Love Marriage—her fifth book, and her first in a decade—is about modern ways of living and loving in Britain. It took about four years to write, says Ali. But once she had her opener (‘In the Ghorami household, sex was never mentioned’) there was lift-off. As someone who has always written very tight first drafts, she knew she was writing too much (the first draft was 2,40,000 words), but she enjoyed being brutal at the editing table. The final book, which is just under 500 pages, is a lush family saga, full of twists and turns, at once traditional in form and also set on upending old ways. “I am really playing with that old trope of Western freedom versus Indian duty within families,” she explains.
Esta historia es de la edición February 2022 de VOGUE India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición February 2022 de VOGUE India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
HEART AT WORK
London is a stomping ground for many South Asian creatives. AKANKSHA KAMATH meets an artist, an author-stylist and the duo behind a first-of-its-kind label on Savile Row to see what their work desks reveal about their unique expression
TSUNAINA
Otherworldly and bewitching are two words associated with the multi-hyphenate model. But who is the person behind the sculptured mask?
Viscountess of Hearts
She was catapulted into the stratosphere as Bridgerton's leading lady in 2022, but Simone Ashley is quite enjoying the descent as the spotlight shifts to a new couple this season. Speaking with Grammy Award nominee and fellow South Asian artiste Anoushka Shankar, she reflects on navigating fame, where she's headed next and if her path will lead her to India
Waning and waxing
The terror of inherited trauma always made SHYAMA LAXMAN keep her mother at arm's length. Now, with both of them older and wiser, there's a new dynamic to their relationship
Three's company
For as long as she can remember, SADAF SHAIKH has only ever hung out with her friends in groups, rarely one-on-one. Finally, she enlists help to excavate her passive pal origin story
Welcome to paradise
In the heart of the Mediterranean, a sisterhood gathers to pray, paint watercolours and pursue peace through spiritualism. MEDINA TREVATHAN reflects on the heaven to be found within The Women Sanctuary
The long game
Tamannaah Bhatia knows exactly what her skin needs-simple rituals, serums and stress-free days.
Current affairs
Can you plug into better skin with microcurrent therapy?
Ice me out
Torture method or genius life hack? NIDHI GUPTA investigates whether ice baths are really as cool as they're cracked up to be
She's got the look
Pop on a Punjabi song, fill a bowl with ice and get ready to immerse yourself in Kriti Sanon's skincare universe