Author's Interview with Krishnakumar.

Before we dive into our exciting conversation with today’s remarkable author, let’s start by getting to know the creative mind behind the diverse and captivating stories.

1. Could you please introduce yourself to us?

I’m Krishnakumar and I’m based in the beautiful coastal city of Pondicherry in southern India. I’m a software engineer by profession. Being an avid reader of fiction, I had wanted to write a novel myself since my engineering days. After a decade of multiple attempts, I have just published my first book, ‘The Ferryman’, under the horror genre. 

2. Congratulations on your book! What inspired you to write it?

Thank you!

Like I told you in the previous answer, writing a novel was something I had wanted to do for a long time. I was actively brainstorming for ideas for a novel during the initial days of the lockdown, and then one night I had a terrifying nightmare that woke me up. This nightmare gave me the core idea for the book.

3. What is your book about?

The book is about a mysterious bed that takes the person sleeping on it into a nightmarish world where it lets them torture and kill the people they had a feud with – and when these people die in the nightmare, they also die in real life. The main character of the novel, Adithya, gets into bed by chance and soon gets pulled into a spiral of terror and insanity. It explores the human psychology of what we would do if we got the opportunity to let out our innermost desires and anger. 

It is a complete work of fiction with very few events borrowed from my life.

4. Why did you choose this genre for your book?

I grew up reading Stephen King and Joe Hill widely. Naturally, I had an eye for horror and the supernatural. When the idea struck me, I was very happy that it fell under the horror genre. Having read so many works in the genre, I felt more comfortable approaching the subject. 

5. How long did it take you to complete the book?

Around five months. But I wrote only during the night after my day work – from 9PM to 12AM. 

6. What makes your book special?

Speaking from the point of the genre, it is unique because it doesn’t fall under mythology or folklore, which are what are quite commonly explored when it comes to this genre, especially in the Indian literary landscape.

7. When can we expect your next book?

Sorry on that. I do not have date, not even a tentative one. The first book happened during the COVID lockdown and I had ample of time to do it. But now, we are back to life and my work is taking most of my time. I’m exploring a few ideas and have also began writing a bit, but not enough to give you a tentative end date.

8. Did you experience writer’s block while writing? What advice would you give to others who face it?

I didn’t. I had only the core idea and the first few chapters with me. I wasn’t sure where I was going with them when I began. Almost the whole book was written on the fly, then and there, as I developed the plot, chapter by chapter. 

9. Besides being a talented author, what are your other hobbies?

Comics, Books, Movies, Series, Coffee and Exercising!

10. Last but not least, how did you feel during this interview?

The whole notion of being interviewed is quite new to me. I have done a few now and I do not feel as nervous as I was before, but I still try to be cautious when I jot down the answers to the questions. 

To tell specifically about this interview, I’m quite happy about it. Thank you for doing this. I’m also open to answering more challenging questions, about the book, the characters, their exploration and any interesting general literary ones. 

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