Shilpa was born and brought up in Mumbai, India. Her father served as a Scientific Officer in the reputed Central Government firm, BARC for 35 years. A gold medalist in MSc (Analytical Chemistry), she worked as a Research Associate in a Multinational Pharmaceutical company before getting married and relocating to Dubai, UAE. Her father introduced her to books in her childhood and that’s when her love for reading and writing began. She would write short stories for various children’s monthly magazines. Later, as her studies took priority, writing took a back seat. Writing has always been her first love.

She has published short stories on various online platforms and has won on several occasions. PenFluenza is her first stint at getting published. Her brother, Mr. Sudeep Satheesan is an author too, and his writings encourage her immensely. Apart from writing and reading, she loves listening to music and watching movies. She resides in Dubai with her husband and two adorable kids, who make sure that she is charged up all the time under all circumstances.

We asked Shilpa a few questions to get to know her better. Here’s what she had to say:

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I have been writing since… 

I started writing short stories when I was in school, few of them being published in Children’s monthly magazines, which were very encouraging. Later, writing took a back seat as studies became a priority. I started writing again on various online platforms three years ago.

My favorite author(s) and book(s)? 

I have many favorite authors like Khaled Hosseini, Shalini Boland, Lisa Regan, Preeti Shenoy, Varsha Dixit, Sudha Murthy. Some of my all time favorite books are ‘The Kite Runner’, ‘A Hundred Little Flames’, ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’.

My journey as a writer: 

Writing is therapeutic to my soul. After a hard day, I love to occupy a cozy corner in my house, penning down my thoughts and stories. Though I started writing for pleasure initially, it became a habit very soon. I feel miserable on days when I am not able to write. Writing is a part of me, who I am and what I feel.

Why should we read you?

I prefer to use simple, lucid words which can be read by all. I believe it is the subject and feel that needs to connect with the readers. I pour my soul into my writings. I love to take my readers to my world and delve deep into a universe that can take away mundane worries and provide a blissful cognizance.

My favorite genre to read / write

My favorite genre to read and write is Thriller. Nothing excites me more than mystery. Be a psychological thriller or a scientific mystery, I love to traverse the enigmatic expedition and the more I read, the more enthralled I feel!

What advice would you give young and aspiring writers?

One tip that has always helped me, and which I would like to share with all aspiring writers is- Be honest with your work. Put your heart and soul into your writings. The readers will surely feel it!

Here’s an excerpt from Shilpa’s winning story A stinky murder case that’s now published in Wafting Earthy:

“The Stinky murder case keeps getting mysterious day after day. What is the department doing about this?” A reporter asked the Police Commissioner.

“We are getting into the depth of the matter, which we can’t disclose right now. Please have some patience,” the Commissioner replied and scurried away.

“The media is trailing us like a pack of hyenas. We need to do something about this. Summon Inspector Briana from the Special Task Force immediately,” Commissioner Saxena commanded. Inspector Briana Jacob was a known name in the city. A sincere and headstrong woman, she was an officer of indomitable spirit. Dauntless and tenacious, Briana possessed an astute problem-solving skill and a brilliant observant mind, that recorded even minute details that others may have overlooked. This made her the obvious choice as an investigation officer for this particular case.

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