According to family stories, Jasbinder was born in a stable in the foothills of the Himalayas. Until she was a year and a half, she lived on a farm inhabited by a grumpy camel and a monkey called Oma. When she was one-and-a-half, Jasbinder and her family moved from India to Nottingham, England.
Jasbinder graduated from Bath Spa University where the seeds of her story were nurtured, but it was the incredible bond with her grandmother which was the inspiration for Asha & the Spirit Bird. She lives with her husband, two teenage boys and dog Enzo in a man pad and splits her time between teaching and writing.
What inspired you to tell the story you wrote?
My first novel ‘Asha And The Spirit Bird’ was inspired by my grandmother and my roots close to the foothills of the Himalaya in India. I always wanted to write ever since I was a little girl so it was so exciting when my debut won The Times Chickenhouse Prize and was published in Feb 2019.
What is your favourite part of being an author?
It’s hard to choose, but one of my favourite elements of being an author is being able to see the world through someone else’s eyes and open up different horizons. It’s a form of escapism, but also a way of learning to be more empathetic and compassionate by thinking about those different perspectives.
I also love meeting my readers, either in schools or at festivals or events. It is both humbling and enriching to meet people from all walks of life and be part of their passion and enthusiasm for books. They can often help you to see your own work from a completely new angle.
Do you have a special place to write?
I am saving up for my very own writing shed! But until then I have a lovely oak desk in my sitting room and like to surround myself with inspiration to help with my writing like pictures, candles and my notebooks.
What is your favourite Children’s book or books?
I always loved The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe and The Hobbit. I loved stories that transported you to another world, so maybe if you were having a rubbish day you could escape to a place where children were heroes!!!
Why did you choose to write for children?
I think children are the best audience and actually also the hardest because if they’re not gripped by the story by the end of the first page they won’t carry on reading. But I really wanted to write a story that I would have loved to read aged 11 because I never found any books with a girl of my background when I was growing up. I also love writing for children because they still believe in the power of the imagination and magic.
Has being a writer been life-long ambition, or did you start writing for different reasons?
Writing has always been a life-long ambition – ever since I could squiggle a line I used to imagine myself writing a story! And I used to fill pages and pages of books with stories and pictures.
Do you have a new book currently being written or about to come out, if so, can you tell us anything about it?
My next book is called ‘Tamarind And The Star Of Ishta’ and is about a girl called Tamarind who lives in Bristol and visits her grand family home in the Himalaya for the very first time. While she’s there she discovers a magical secret garden where she meets a mysterious mountain girl and her monkey Hanu. Tamarind begins to uncover the family secrets that surround her mum’s death when Tamarind was a baby and she discovers a special emerald ring that belonged to her mum and has magical powers.
Finds out more about Jasbinder and her books on her website: jasbinderbilan.co.uk
This interview was conducted in 2020