Interview: Radhika Sanghani

Virgin, Not That Easy and I Wish We Weren’t Related are 3 of many things Radhika Sanghani has written in her time (so far)! Both a full-time Writer and Journalist, she has also just published her new book Thirty Things I Love About Myself. Go Inspire UK had the pleasure to chat about all things high, low and inspiring in Radhika’s life.

Go Inspire UK: What made you want to go into writing and journalism – was it something you always wanted to do?

Image by Laura Pink

Radhika Sanghani: Yes and no! I loved writing, but I'd never really thought about it as a career. I ended up getting into journalism because I was finishing university and needed a career. I decided to go for journalism and see where it led me - but I wasn't fully wedded to it! I feel that over the years my career constantly evolves and I love that.

GI: Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

RS: I think now my biggest inspiration is Elizabeth Gilbert, not just because I really admire her writing career, but because of who she is as a person. Her message is all about not being afraid to try and get things wrong and to live a life of curiosity and surrender, rather than always trying to plan or follow specific goals.

GI: Your stories are very female centered, why is that?

RS: I've always loved reading female-centred stories, and it makes sense to me that now I love writing them too. There are so many books about male-centred experiences that I don't feel bad just focusing on what I find more interesting - which is women. I think life is more complex for women, in terms of how we've lived in a patriarchy for centuries, but also that we're subjected to so many pressures and expectations, and that our biology can make life. It's a lot - and it's something I'll never get tired of exploring in my writing.

GI: Why do you write about body positivity – why is it important to be vocal in national magazines and newspapers about body confidence?

RS: I write about body positivity because I think it's important to show different narratives. Societal beauty standards are so narrow, and so damaging, that I want to show we can make our own. We can define ourselves as beautiful without looking for external validation. It's a journey I've gone on personally, and am still on, and I think it's important to share it with people. I don't always get it right, but I'm learning to love myself just the way I am.

Image by Laura Pink

GI: What would you say is one of your favourite pieces you have written in your journalism career?

RS: I loved interviewing Richard Ratcliffe over the years about the unfair imprisonment of his wife Nazanin in Iran. She's finally back in England free to live her life with her husband and daughter, but it's a story I worked on for six years and felt really strongly about.

GI: Why, alongside your journalism career, were you also drawn to writing books?

RS: I love novels and always have. I never let myself dream that it could be a real career option for me because I didn't think I was good enough. But when I had a near-death experience in my early 20s, I realised it was important to me to write a book - whether it was published or not. That's what led me to write my first published novel Virgin.

GI: What was your inspiration and writing processes behind Virgin and Not That Easy?

RS: I really wanted to write books about female sexuality, and female desire. My book is about a young woman going on a sexual journey to find herself, and ultimately learning to move away from societal pressures and expectations, and instead living for herself. They're comedies because I think this journey can be a humorous one, and they're very raw and honest.

GI: How about your new book Thirty Things I Love About Myself – also could you describe a bit about the book itself?

RS: So this book is all about Nina Mistry - a woman whose life falls apart when she turns 30. With the help of a tatty self-help book, she ends up going on a journey to try and write a list of 30 things she loves about herself. It's all about our relationship with ourselves, disconnected family, mental health, loneliness and creating community. It's a really positive novel and I hope it helps anyone feeling alone.

GI: How do you think your work connects to all different types of women today?

RS: I hope my work does connect to many different types of women - and if it does so, I would say it's because of the central themes of identity, loneliness, vulnerability and self-love. These are things all of us deal with on a daily basis, and I love writing about them.

GI: What advice would you give to readers of Go Inspire facing various highs and lows in everyday life?

RS: I would say ride those waves! All too often, we think that life should only be highs and not lows. But that's not a real life - that's fantasy. Real life is the highs and lows, so just try to be present for them as much as you can. Let yourself feel it all, and take it seriously - but also not take it seriously at all. To me, life is about getting that balance between caring deeply and not caring too much. That enables me to enjoy life without falling into stress and anxiety.

GI: How do you find stories that are relevant to your different audiences?

RS: I like to think stories find me rather than me going out looking for them - whether it's in terms of non-fiction or fiction. I just try and stay open, and notice things going on around me, and sometimes that can spark inspiration. But my main guiding principle is to write things that I find interesting and relevant, and then just trust that other people will feel the same way. I can't please everyone so I try and please myself as a starting point.

GI: What were the stages in your career like – from graduate trainee, features and columnist to freelance writer? Was it in any way daunting going into freelance writing?

RS: I was lucky in that I got a job as a graduate trainee at the Telegraph straight after graduating. I worked there for five years as a features writer and columnist, and then I left to go freelance. It was definitely daunting, especially because I have a tendency to be anxious and crave security. But I'm so glad I did it. I learnt there are different ways to define success and to live life. I'm learning now to carve out my own rules and work in a way that works for me, rather than follow the rat race. It's not always easy, but it's more interesting - and it feels much more authentic to me.

Instagram: @radhika sanghani

Photography by Laura Pink

Article by Chelsea Abbott