Inspiring Books and Movies

Finding inspiration is as important for a writer as finding the right ingredients is for a cook. So just as a cook might consider other people's recipes and cookbooks for inspiration, a writer often finds inspiration the writings, movies and artworks of others.

It certainly works for me and I often read two or three books at a time - usually a comic book (if I can get my hands on a good one), one fiction book and a non-fiction one. The more exotic the setting, the better. Below is a list of books and movies that have inspired me in the past year.

Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow by Faiza Guene
This novel is about a young Algerian immigrant growing up in the public housing projects in Paris. Unsentimentally, it opens the reader's eyes to people, places and events that immigrant life in the '90s brings along. The novel was first published in France in 2004 when Faiza Guene was only 19 years old.

Women on the Edge by Maitena
Maitena is an awesome, unconventional woman cartoonist from Argentinia. In her comic books - Women on the Edge, Striving Women and Dangerous Curves are some of them - she portrays women but also relationships in general and growing up or old. She is funny, honest, biting and satirical and never fails to cheer me up.

The 3 Mistakes of My Life by Chetan Bhagat
The best-selling English author in India is often criticized for writing in a too basic style but what those critics often fail to mention is that because he's easy to understand, he manages to do what acclaimed Indian authors often cannot: connect with the masses. Bhagat touches a nerve and talks like his readers, the generation of Indian youths often called Youngistan (alluding to Hindustan, India's name in Hindi). In 3 Mistakes, his third book, he's come a long way in his writing and manages to connect such different topics as cricket, political fundamentalism and love.

Dev.D by Anurag Kashyap
This recent Indian movie is a far cry from Bollywood. A remake of the Indian classic Devdas, it tackles issues like unfulfilled love, sexual frustration, addiction and self-pity. A good part of the movie is set in Delhi's red-light district and it is amazing that the movie makes do without naked people jumping through every scene - a feat unheard of in European cinema, for example, where even shampoos and far-off products are sold through nudity. In any case, Dev.D is also funny - the first part set in Punjab especially - and is a must see.

So, from Paris to Argentina to India, there should be some inspiration here!

The image above is from the cover illustration to Maitena's 4th volume of Women on the Edge.