"Nowadays …everything is either googled or found on smart phones. People have hardly any time for books, leave aside writing. They don’t have time for reading… No medium can replace books,” remarked eminent writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar at the launch function of Kainaz Jussawalla’s book Coffee Days, Champagne Nights and Other Secrets. The book was released on July 24, 2017 at Out of the Blue, a restobar in Bandra. Three of her stories from the publication which were translated in braille were promoted by Tanya Balsara who is visually impaired and runs her own computer institute Tanya Computer Education Centre, mentioned the author in an email to Parsiana.
"Writing is a job in itself,” commented the lyricist, clarifying, "Sensibilities as a writer don’t come on a platter. You can’t go and buy them from a shop. You learn and develop this by reading various kinds of books… Young people should also read light literature, humor and detective novels.”
Jussawalla told the gathering that she always wanted to be a writer: "An author’s journey is not a writer’s journey but the journey of the soul. My soul is restless and relentless, obstinate and completely uncontrollable when it comes to following or chasing my dreams…”
Top and above: Javed Akhtar addressing the audience at the book launch;
far left: author Kainaz Jussawalla with
Tanya Balsara, reaching out to the visually challenged
An airline cabin crew member, Jussawalla who volunteers her time between flights at the National Association for the Blind "realized how important it was for the visually challenged to have more than text books to read. Why do they need to depend on someone to read to them?” she queried.
In a WhatsApp chat with Parsiana, the author mentioned that a family member who shared her vision was her late paternal grandmother Sheroo Jussawalla. A "great storyteller,” Sheroo lived in Lonavala till the ripe age of 103! "I guess a mix of good genes and a need to fulfill one of her last wishes made the book happen,” acknowledges Kainaz who found inspiration in authors like Enid Blyton, Jackie Collins, Kahlil Gibran among others.
Coffee Days, Champagne Nights and Other Secrets which comprises seven short stories is women oriented, notes Jussawalla’s email. "The idea behind the book was to capture human emotions in a new and more realistic light. Duality is the truth of life. We all are playing different roles. We wear masks at work, play, with our spouses and sometimes even for ourselves. Anyone who claims that they don’t have a single secret or are completely honest, are simply lying,” the Asian Age of July 4 quoted the debutant writer.
The young author already has two additional books in the pipeline, one of which is complete. It is a sequel to her debut short stories. "The next is going to be quite raunchy, exciting and full of controversial sparks… Watch out for it!” she exclaims.