Q&A: All About Sona C.
Got a question? Here are some answers!
I'm of Indian-American descent — Punjabi, specifically, with family scattered throughout India, especially in Amritsar, Delhi, and Mumbai. But was born in Iran and grew up in central New Jersey (yes, it's real), in Woodbridge township.
As an undergrad, I studied journalism and American Studies — specifically pop culture — at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where I wrote papers on Madonna and the cultural relevance of the boy band. I got my masters in dramatic writing and South Asian diaspora studies from the Gallatin School at New York University, where my thesis project was developed for the screen by MTV Films. (Long story!) Then, for good measure, I got an MFA in creative writing (writing for children and young adults) from the New School, where I met Tiny Pretty Things co-author and CAKE co-founder Dhonielle Clayton on the very first day of class.
Maybe I've always known. I just didn't realize you could do it for "work" for a really long time. But when I was about seven or eight, I made videos of myself reporting the news. And I wrote my first short story at 12 (and ate up the praise from by sixth grade teacher, Ms. Pinter). I wrote some cringe-worthy fiction as a teen, too. In college, I was planning to study English, but switched to journalism when my dad asked me what I'd do with that major when I graduated. At least journalism had a job in the title. I started interning — at People and the dearly departed TeenPeople — as a junior in college, and worked in magazines for more than a decade after graduating, doing stints at People, TeenPeople, ABCNews.com, MSN TV, TheBump.com, WhatToExpect.com, and more. I was most recently the editor of the Barnes & Noble teen blog (RIP), and have contributed to publications like the New York Times, Vulture.com, TeenVogue and Cosmopolitan. You can read some of my clips here.
That's a tough question! I've interviewed everyone from Beyonce (at her birthday party!) to Reese Witherspoon. My favorites though were probably author Jhumpa Lahiri and Bollywood diva Aishwarya Rai (both of whom I interviewed for People's 50 Most Beautiful specials), and filmmakers like Mira Nair. Also, one of my favorite bands, Tonic, took me to lunch on my birthday, which was pretty awesome. More recently, I've gotten to interview many of my favorite authors in my work for the Barnes & Noble teen blog, Bustle, Publisher's Weekly and other publications. You can read some my journalistic work here.
That's a TOUGH question. It's so hard to pin point, but some of my favorites include Lucy Maud Montgomery, who wrote the beloved Anne of Green Gables series (now one of my kid's faves, too) and the amazing Laurie Halse Anderson, who is absolutely astounding and such a rockstar. Another fave is Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy, which is this sprawling family drama.
Find me on social media!
Twitter: @sona_c
Instagram: @sonesone2
Facebook: Sona Charaipotra
You can also reach me through the Contact form on this website. I'll do my best to respond. If you have inquiries regarding book work, please reach out to Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary. If you have inquiries regarding film/TV rights, please reach out to Mary Pender at UTA. Questions about CAKE Literary? You'll find answers on the CAKE website.