1--What is the title of your latest release?
THE TWILIGHT GARDEN
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Two neighbors – who happen to really dislike each other - unite to bring their shared garden back to life, as a place for community, friendship and hope to grow.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
It is set in Stoke Newington, London, where I used to live in a top floor flat, dreaming of a garden. The garden that belonged to our neighbors below was overgrown and it got me thinking about two neighbors who shared a garden and how they might have different ideas of what to do, and everything (the good and the frustrating) that could arise as a result.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Yes! I love Winston in particular – I think we’d get on really well, but I’d also love to spend time with Alma in the garden and get all her wisdom on how to grow vegetables. Maya would be someone to have a long chat and a chai with, and Bernice and I would probably sit and watch Bargain Hunt or Homes under the Hammer on a lazy Friday.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Winston is lost, lonely and kind-hearted; Bernice is misunderstood, (a bit) snappy, and loving.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned a lot about gardening – thanks to my partner who has all the gardening knowledge - as well as the history of the area I’d written about, which was incredibly inspiring, showcasing the real strength of community.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I tend to write a whole draft and then go back and edit – because otherwise I get too bogged down in the detail. It’s very much about layering for me – my first draft gets the general feel sorted, and with each draft I cut back and embellish as needed. It’s a very slow process.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I love, love, love cheese, so that’s definitely my indulgence. But Gujarati food is a huge comfort food for me. I will always cook some of my favorite Gujarati dishes like kadhi, khichdi or moriyo, when I’m feeling low, or in need of a pick me up. It reminds me of my family, and it tastes delicious too.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I have a little shed in my garden where I tend to write, which is quite messy but full of photographs and memories, and it always feels like a little retreat – I close the shed door behind me and can (usually) focus on writing. Otherwise I take myself to the library, because being around other people sometimes makes me more productive at times!
10--Who is an author you admire?
There are so many authors I admire, so it’s really hard to choose just one, but I love Zadie Smith’s writing, her ability to create nuanced and relatable characters on the page, and stories that are thought provoking, important with plenty of humor and heart.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Arundhati Roy’s THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS is my favorite book of all time, and I often return to it. The prose is beautiful, and it perfectly entwines the political and personal.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I was at work and snuck into a meeting room to speak to my agent, not quite believing it at all, and as soon as I hung up, I texted my colleague and best friend, who found me in the meeting room, and we squealed and jumped up and down for ages in excitement. It was the best day, and the beginning of many great days to come.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I love all genres – but particularly enjoy big-hearted general literary fiction – whether that’s a sharply realized story of friendship and love, or an epic tale of a family. But I’m also a mood reader, so sometimes I’m really in the mood for some true crime, or a thriller, or something that will make me laugh until I cry. Whatever genre I’m reading, I’m always looking for characters who stay with me and a book that makes me think, long after I’ve finished it.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
I’ve loved too many to pinpoint a favorite – but some recent favorites have been PAST LIVES, ALL OF US STRANGERS and PERFECT DAYS. All three were films that I thought about for days afterwards – and often still think about. I love a film where you step out of the cinema, but your mind remains in the world of the film.
15--What is your favorite season?
This is a bit of a cheat, but every season . . . I always used to say winter, because I do love winter, but recently I’ve really come to enjoy the changing of each season, particularly autumn and spring. I really love those brisk but sunny days in winter, as well as the evenings drawing in in autumn when it feels like it’s time to start hibernating, and I love the first signs of spring in the garden – the new buds and leaves – AND of course I love the warmth of summer, the long evenings sitting outside chatting to friends.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
With friends and family – a meal out, or a takeaway. Something lowkey but surrounded by my favorite people, ideally!
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I’ve just finished a book draft so I’m a bit behind on reading and watching things, but I loved the series One Day, which completely broke my heart. I loved the book when I read it years ago and the series just worked so brilliantly – it was even better than I’d hoped. Two books that have been on my to read list for ages are Kiley Reid’s COME AND GET IT and Etaf Rum’s EVIL EYE, so I’m looking forward to reading them both soon. A recent recommendation is GIRLS by Kirsty Capes which I adored - it’s bold and beautifully written and out in May.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Gujarati food – or pasta.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I try to see my friends and family, because I spend so much of my days on my own – which I enjoy but it can lead me to just chat a bit too much to my cats. Otherwise I’ll be found knitting or reading!
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I can’t say very much at the moment, but my next book will be a story of a mother and daughter finding their way back to each other, set around an art group full of characters who become their found family.
Two feuding neighbors unite to resurrect a neglected city garden in this uplifting and quietly joyful novel by Sara Nisha Adams, author of the beloved The Reading List.
In a small pocket of London, between the houses of No.77 and No.79 Eastbourne Road, lies a neglected community garden. It was a beautiful thing once, a little oasis in a bustling city for neighbors by day and the local foxes at twilight. Now it’s overgrown and neglected, an empty patch of greenery lost to time.
Once a sanctuary, the garden’s gate is now firmly closed. And that’s exactly how Winston at No.79 likes it – anything to avoid Bernice, who has moved in next door with her young son. Their houses may share the garden, but they’re not exactly neighborly.
But then a mysterious parcel drops on Winston’s doormat. It contains no note, only a bundle of photographs of the garden in bloom many years ago—vibrant with flowers, filled with people from every corner of the community. Is someone trying to tell them something? The seed of an idea is planted…
Somewhere out there, a secret gardener made a decades-old promise to keep the community’s spirit alive. Now it’s time for The Twilight Garden to come out of hibernation.
Fiction [William Morrow, On Sale: April 9, 2024, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780063025325 / ]
Sara is a writer and editor. She lives in London and was born in Hertfordshire to Indian and English parents. Her debut novel The Reading List is partly inspired by her grandfather, who lived in Wembley and immediately found a connection with his granddaughter through books.
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