Andaleeb has recently won 2024 Neev Book Award for her children’s book The Henna Start-Up. To her credit she has Asmara’s Summer developed into an Amazon Original series, Dil Dosti Drama. A Penguin Random House India author, this Bengaluru based writer started writing when she was 10. The Henna Start-Up has been published by Duckbill, one of the imprints of Penguin Random House India. A well-reputed children books imprints has some really special publications like Hook Book series that got a good run.

In the span of 12 years, Andaleeb has published 33 novels. Enjoying different genres, her earlier stint with PRH India and Duckbill includes All Drama No Queen and Mirror, Mirror. She also has publications with Harper Collins. She identifies with the anguish of the young adult; she writes for herself and writing is her outlet. The torment that she writes about is in contrast to the meaning her name has- nightingale. She is of the opinion that she doesn’t stick to one genre; she thinks of an idea and then develops it. Her second novel, ‘Blinkers Off’ was launched at J.P Nagar’s Crossword.

Her first novel, Kites Strings (2009) has autobiographical elements. Being a Muslim, she writes about Muslims mostly. ‘Writing is like breathing to her’, though her writings are said to have been community specific, its relatable in its treatment of complex emotions. It is this feature of her writing that cuts across various communities. 

The year 2020 proved to be way more difficult than she thought. She lost her husband and her mother-in-law to pandemic. Writing has been her way of channelizing her pain, escaping from the harsh reality of her life. Faces just vanished and the despaired Zubi in More than Just Biryani is her.

IMAGE SOURCE: THE GOOD BOOK CORNER