She lives in her ancestral home at Kurupam in Andhra Pradesh, but being a politician, lawyer, pro bono adviser on government policies and member of the Indian National Congress, V Shruti Devi often travels to New Delhi. And between the regular take-offs and landings, Devi managed to write a non-fiction book, Earth Republic: Chatter from the Capital's Cauldron (and Beyond). This book is a collection of ten essays written in an easy, conversational style, on "an assorted range of topics written especially for this book," says Devi. Themes range from cuisines to gender issues and many other topics. As her previous book, Deep Wood Trance was a work of fiction, Devi does admit that she has an affinity for writing because of which, "I intend to continue writing," she adds.
The idea behind the book was to start discussions and debates, which is why Devi was particular about the kind of language that she employed, which the book's back cover states verges on '...informally careless'. "This was done in order to appeal to the youth," Devi explains. As an aside, she says, "I will be happy to facilitate a discussion on the book if am invited," she says happily. One of the essays that really caught our fancy was the one that provided an analysis of Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography, Born to Run and in doing so, she not only reviewed the book but also weaved in some “auto-biographical elements” of her own. There is also a short essay about the perks of shopping online (Hallelujah!). The one about cuisine even contains a detailed interview with her late grandmother, who herself had dreamt of publishing a recipe book one day.
It is here that we mention that her book was launched on March 15, 2018, at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi. The event saw attendance from Supreme Court advocate Karuna Nundy, former Union Minister Saugata Roy and many others who unanimously praised the book.
To read more about her, click on shrutidevi.in
