Monika Schröder was born in Germany. She worked as an elementary school teacher and librarian for International Schools in Oman, Egypt, Chile and India. She lived  in India for eight years and then moved to South Carolina, where she is now living with her husband. Later, Monika started to write and became an author for children`s books. Three books by her have been published so far. Women Talk blogger Meike Pohl had the chance to talk to her about her second book “Saraswati’s Way,” the story of a 12-year-old Indian boy who has to fight for better education.

Meike Pohl: What inspired you to write Saraswati’s Way?

Monika Schröder: Poverty is visible everywhere in India, particularly in big cities like New Delhi where beggars wait at every traffic intersection. When leaving or arriving at the New

Delhi train station, I always wondered about the kids who seemed to live on the platforms, scavenging for food or collecting empty bottles to sell. I wondered where they came from and

how they manage to survive. That’s how I began my research on street children.

Does your story have biographical elements from a person you have met while living in India?

No, this is not the story of one particular boy. I created Akash from the stories I heard and read about.

How did you research for your book?

I visited the train station and met a young man who works with the Saalam Balaak Trust, an NGO that helps street kids. He ran away himself when he was five years old. He took me around

to show me how the kids lived, how they found food, where they slept and so on. He was a big help. But I also read a lot about the problem of runaways and street children in India.

Why did you choose mathematics as Akash’s interest?

As a child I had a great love for mathematics and numbers so it was relatively easy to create a boy with a gift for math.

How long did it take you to write Saraswati’s Way?

It took about a year and a half to finish the manuscript. But after a publisher bought it, almost two years passed until it was finally published. That is the normal time frame, as a book goes

through a lot of steps from copy-editing to cover design.

Did you experience the writer’s block?

No, fortunately, the writing process for this novel went very smoothly. It’s not like that with every book, though. The project I am working on right now has been with me for much longer

and it is not working out that easily.

What do you think is the most important message expressed through your story?

The book was published in America and for readers in America, most of whom can take going to school for granted. I thought it might be interesting for American kids to learn about a

boy who has to fight for his education. I also hope that the book introduces readers to some aspects of Indian culture, as well as helping them realize that regardless of where we live we all

have dreams and want to pursue them in spite of obstacles.

For how long have you been working as an author?

My first novel was published in November 2009.

Did you always want to become an author?

No, I was always a reader but never dreamt of becoming an author.  I became an author in my late thirties when I took an online class for teachers about teaching writing in the upper

elementary grades. For this class I had to submit a fiction piece and I wrote a story based on what my Dad had told me happened when the Russian Army invaded his village in East

Germany at the end of World War II. The participants of the class and the instructor encouraged me to continue writing and after many years and many revisions my first novel, “The dog

in the woods” was published.

Was it hard to find a publisher for your books?

I have been very fortunate that I submitted each of my manuscripts to only one publisher who subsequently purchased it.

Are you planning to write another book?

I am working on a historical fiction novel about a boy in search of his father. The story starts in Boston in 1832. He receives a mysterious package from his father whom he took to be

dead. His quest takes him on a ship to Calcutta. The ship transports ice from Massachusetts’s ponds to India. That actually really happened, a savvy Boston businessman came up with the

idea to sell New England ice to the British in India, and this gave the idea for the story.

Do you want to stick to children’s books and books for young adults or would you like to write a book for adults in the future?

For now I will stick to writing for children.

Interview: Meike Pohl

Editor: Manasi Gopalakrishnan