Of motherhood and memories: Author with Chennai roots talks about her win

When writer Chital Mehta learned that her forthcoming novel Have You Seen Romit? had won the 2025 James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel, she sighed deeply and cried. For an author whose work has been shaped by displacement, migration, and the resilience of people, the recognition felt like an affirmation of the stories she has spent years trying to bring into the world. Speaking to CE from her home in Delaware, USA, she reflects on a journey that began far from where she lives today. Raised in Chennai and Coimbatore, she found her earliest refuge in local libraries places that offered both companionship and possibility at a time when becoming a writer felt like a dream. It helped her navigate the uncertainties of adolescence, the constraints placed on young women, and the complex emotional terrain that would later inform her fiction. Her new novel, described by judge RO Kwon as a gripping, intensely moving portrayal of a woman whose ferocious love for her children clashes with how others expect her to behave, explores motherhood, fear, gendered expectations, and the silences that shape Indian families. The book, scheduled for release in 2026, is already being hailed for its emotional force and its unflinching look at how women negotiate identity within and often against social boundaries. In this exclusive conversation, she speaks candidly about the years-long writing process, the characters who haunted her until she gave them voice, and how winning the McPherson Prize has reshaped her understanding of belonging both personally and artistically. What follows is a conversation with a writer who has carved her own path with determination, introspection, and a steadfast belief that stories find us when were ready. Excerpts: Share some memories from your upbringing that influenced your decision to become a writer? How did these cities shape your literary journey? Becoming a writer wasnt a decision. I think it evolved naturally as I grew. I began writing my daily experiences into a journal. This became my way of understanding the world, answering the difficult questions that others couldnt, and making sense of unfair situations. My parents did everything to ensure books were available so I could read. I devoured books at my school library. I borrowed books from people who bought them because I couldnt. I was lucky as my parents never stopped me from reading novels. Reading novels in the community I grew up in was considered a bad thing because novels exposed you to stuff you didnt want your child to know. As I grew into a teenager, writing and reading became my only way of making sense of confusion, anger, and disappointment. When I look at people, I look beyond them, wondering what their story is. What was the process of developing Ushas character and her dilemmas? We all look up to our mothers for confidence and strength. Usha, although she is different, was born out of my perception of my own mother. I visualised my mother going out of her way to look for her child because its something she is capable of. In the book, Usha is flawed and is someone who yearns for societys acceptance. She wants peace in the family, and shell endure anything. But when her son goes missing, she breaks free from the cage that she has built around herself. I put myself in Ushas skin as she walked through the forests. One of the things that I did to understand Usha better was to go on long walks with her. I spoke with her inside my head as I walked. I wrote letters to her. Gender roles, especially the expectations placed on women and mothers, are central to Ushas narrative. How do you see her choices as both a reflection and a challenge to these norms? Growing up, I have seen women going out of their way to get what they want, surprising everybody. I have also seen women who abide by the rules wanting to be in the realms of the society. Usha is torn between love for her son and the need to preserve her familys honour. Yet, she chooses to do what is right in her heart. That space where things feel right to her, thats the space she goes in search of. She doesnt do this lightly. She goes through intense emotional turmoil when she chooses to walk away from her home. The motif of libraries and books as sanctuaries for young people surfaces throughout the text. What role did these spaces play in your own life and in shaping Romits identity? Even though I grew up reading and wanting to be a writer, there was nobody whom I could relate to. When I worked in Chennai as a software engineer, the local library was my refuge. I buried myself in books on weekends. Still, I never told people that I was a writer, though I filled notebooks with novel drafts. Romit, to me, is someone who has a clear idea of what he wants but is confused about the ways to get what he wants. Writing, as a profession, is confusing to many. I bring that up in Romits household about how a creative profession is often weighed with the money it brings. There is a recurring thread of silence. How did you write the silences in this story? That is probably the most difficult part. There are moments of silence in our daily lives when we go through a set of emotions. Translating silence into text isnt easy. I slipped into each of the characters and wrote from their point of view. Not everything made it into the book. But it helped me observe them in silence, in anger, in confusion. Throughout her search for Romit, Usha grows in courage, strength, and understanding. Could you share how her journey becomes less about finding her son and more about discovering herself? Ushas path toward finding herself doesnt come easily. I push her to the point where the psychological stakes are high for her. As a mother and a person, she is well aware of her flaws and strengths. She has utmost love for her children, but is that love enough for her to battle with the world and unknown terrains? What she discovers through her journey of finding Romit is how free she becomes when she breaks the boundaries she had confined herself to long ago. How did you approach writing Ushas and Vijayas relationship, and what does this friendship mean for Usha during her most difficult moments? Vijaya appeared in the sixth version of the draft. Initially, I had two youngsters helping Usha. Something about them didnt sound right. Vijaya is flawed like Usha, but in a different way. She is battling her past. Usha, who has been taught to be judgmental, opens up when she learns that Vijaya holds the key to finding Romit. Usha has always understood the world as black and white, but after meeting Vijaya, she sees the layers between the colours. The layers we dont necessarily talk about, but we all experience them when we meet someone outside of our league. These women belong to different generations, yet they come together for the same cause. Despite their differences, they remain focused on their goal. What aspects of your novel, do you hope, resonate with readers? As a reader, I find immense strength in Usha. On days when parenting is hard, I ask myself what would Usha do in this situation? Somehow, the answers appear even if I dont understand them right away. I hope that anyone reading this book finds the courage to do the things that scare them. Because, often, its the thing that scares us the most that helps us become the person we want to become. How has your creative voice changed since The Chennai Killings? The Chennai Killings taught me to embrace revision and rewriting, something I had been terrified of. Still, its only with Have You Seen Romit? that I truly found the courage to rewrite and cut words many times. I even rewrote the book from the first page. My voice had definitely changed largely. The Chennai Killings was a plot-based novel, while Have You Seen Romit? is a character-based voice-driven novel. How important is it to you to see stories like yours represented in Indian and global literary spaces? I want to read stories that talk about flawed characters, about the things that we whisper inside our houses, about characters who are everyday heroes but rarely come into the limelight. I think these are the people we connect to, even on a global level. There is so much about India that remains untapped when it comes to books. Id definitely like to see stories like mine create an impact on the global level. These are stories that talk about courage and hope. How can literary spaces and publications better support emerging voices? There is a strong need for a writing community where writers talk about craft. I want to see more discussion around the craft of writing itself. I want to see more literary agents in India who encourage work that takes risks, work that focuses more on the voice of the writer. One way this can be done is by encouraging the need to build community among writers. Writers need to connect with other writers to talk about craft and their vision. Writers spend so much time alone at the desk. It takes a toll on them as a book takes years to complete. Having a writing community where you can lean on makes the journey more manageable.