Kiran Desai on Artists as Thieves, Magpies, and the Loneliness of Mina Foi

• Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai discusses her novel 'The Loneliness of Sunny and Sonia' and the character of Mina Foi, a divorced woman living with her parents in Allahabad.
• Desai describes artists as 'thieves' and 'magpies,' ruthless in claiming stories and images, drawing parallels with the character Ilan.
• The novel explores various forms of loneliness, particularly through Mina Foi's story, highlighting the societal branding of older single women as 'unlucky'.
• Desai emphasizes the importance of accuracy in storytelling over worrying about a global audience, using personal memories like bank locker visits.
• Water imagery (snow, ocean, clouds) serves as a 'connective tissue' in the novel, symbolizing transformation and the unseen world, influenced by Yasunari Kawabata's 'Snow Country'.

Why It Matters: Kiran Desai delves into the artistic process, societal loneliness, and the intricate themes within her latest novel.