WRITER'S BLOCK 78

Janaki Lenin brings us into the wild with her latest natural page-turner

- AMIT DIXIT

EVERY CREATURE HAS A STORY

A soap opera editor turned-documentary filmmaker-turned writer, Janaki Lenin is a self-proclaimed idealist by day, and anarchist by night. a wildlife enthusiast with years of experience in conservation under her belt, Lenin strives to bring the wild to the masses with fun and lively stories. She was a columnist for Firstpost, The Hindu and The Wire, and has two collections of essays from her My Husband and Other Animals column.

How has the lockdown been treating you?

My family and I are lucky to live in the middle of nowhere, on a farm adjoining a forest. My regular way of life is one of self-quarantine. So the lockdown wasn’t radically different although it required a few adjustments. The only fear was that my elderly father shouldn’t come down with any major medical issues that required seeing a doctor or visiting a hospital. But on the plus side, the lack of traffic noise was wonderful, and we hear the dawn chorus of birdsong in full stereophonic glory.

What is your new book all about?

Every Creature Has A Story is about some of the most amazing, bizarre, and charming things that animals do, whether it be navigating by smell, showing compassion to others, or pretending to be dead rather than have sex. We’ve seen viral videos of the antics of dogs and cats splashed all over the internet. But members of entire species out in the wild are doing crazy stuff that deserves to be in the spotlight, and I hope the book will bring these stories to life.

You’re privy to a lot of weird animal facts. your Top 3?

This is a tough one but I'll do my best (not in any specific order):