Love is not just a fairy tale thing, says author Pragnya Patnaik

Author Pragnya Patnaik talks about her latest book, Love is not Lost and why she ditched her lucrative IT job to be a full-time writer.

“Love is not just a fairy tale thing. Love does make you a better person,” says Pragnya Patnaik, who has just had her second book — Love is not Lost, published.

Odisha-based writer Pragnya Patnaik.

The book is a collection of short stories based on real life incidents with “fictionlised details”. She says,“The book has six different love stories. The stories introduce readers to the ups and down in love, because love is not just a happy thing.”

She has been writing poetry since the age of seven and came up with her first book of poetry in 2003 which was based on the history of India. For Patnaik, love for writing was natural. “My parents are writers... I wrote my first poem in 3rd standard,” she adds.

Writer Pragnya Patnaik worked with some IT companies before leaving work to take up full-time writing.

As for this book, she says, “When I wrote The Cup of Life, which resonates my own life story, I showed it to my friends. They’re so moved that some of them cried and hugged me. That day I decided to write a book, and I ditched my IT job for it. The story is now a part of the anthology.”