About Divya Gupta Kotawala
Divya Gupta Kotawala, a multifaceted individual hailing from Delhi, seamlessly juggles her roles as a wife, mother, businesswoman, and devoted friend. However, it was the profound loss of her father to COVID-19 in 2021 that propelled her into a new chapter of life. Graduating from Modern School and St. Stephen’s College, she pursued her passion for fashion design at NIFT, interning with esteemed designers. Despite life’s complexities, Divya maintains a balance between personal, professional, and social commitments, actively engaging in social welfare and spiritual pursuits. Her transformative journey, catalyzed by her debut book “My Dad’s Daughter,” has earned her accolades and platforms to inspire others grappling with grief. In this new chapter of life, she has won several awards and appreciation for transforming her pain into her biggest strength. She has been covered by the humans of Bombay platform and is a prod Tedx speaker now carrying forward her father’s legacy with pride forever.
LiFT: Tell us about your book, the journey of writing it and its content?
Divya Gupta Kotawala: My book my dad’s daughter is my tribute to the extraordinary life that my father lived and also, the befitting farewell from a daughter after being unable to say her last goodbye to her, dear Dad, who my lost during the most unimaginable time of the pandemic in 2021. This book, although began as a gift to my father in heaven, but it eventually became a beautiful medium for me to not only revisit my most beautiful moments with my father and cherish and treasure them in the pages of this book for a lifetime, It was the perfect way for me to channelize my pain into something so meaningful and find the courage to move ahead in the journey of life with the absence yet blessings of my father. This book healed me every day and filled me with gratitude that unlike many other daughters, I was fortunate enough to have so many beautiful memories with my father and so many lessons by him to follow in my life ahead and continue his beautiful legacy. The journey of writing this book came with so many mixed emotions. What started with a lot of pain anger, disbelief, and tears eventually ended with a lot of gratitude and healing. It was a learning experience every day as a first time, Author, as I had no idea about the world of Literature, Every process of making this book was full of learning, a new experiences every day, This book not only talks about my father as the most extraordinary human being in my life, As my hero, it also talks about the beautiful bond between a father and a daughter more ever. It’s the journey of a Covid hit family and their ordeal that eventually led to the biggest loss of the family. Ultimately, this book talks about finding closure over loss and eventually finding strength over our biggest pain ever.
LiFT: Why you chose this title?
Divya Gupta Kotawala: Even before I began writing this book, the only thing that was clear in my mind was the title of this book as my dad’s daughter, even during the process of publishing. I was suggested many other titles by the publishing house, but from day one, this is the only title. I wanted from my book as this was, the most beautiful way to celebrate the father daughter relationship and give the best tribute to my fathers extraordinary life in this ordinary world, most importantly immediately after losing that what hit me the most was The pain of never being able to call anyone, my dad again losing this. Most precious relationship in my life, felt the most excruciating pain ever, but with this beautiful title, I actually call out the word DAD Hundred times a day, and it’s the most beautiful and satisfying feeling for me ever. It’s my way to keep my father alive forever with this book.
LiFT: When did you realize that you want to be a writer and what’s your inspiration behind it?
Divya Gupta Kotawala: My biggest ever inspiration to write this book is only and only to give the most unique goodbye gift to my father in heaven. Before this, I had never written read any other book. How strange it may ever sound. This was my way to put down all my pain on paper, and find the most beautiful way to heal myself also, being unable to give a perfect farewell to my father became the biggest reason for me to turn in Author at the age of 40 as I wanted to release this book on his first death anniversary as my tribute to my hero at that moment, a grieving daughter found no other best possible way to celebrate her father’s life, specially after see him have the most sudden and unexpected death.
LiFT: Where do you see yourself ten years down the line in the world of literature?
Divya Gupta Kotawala: In 10 years down the line, I definitely see myself moving ahead in the world of Literature through my words and Books. I surely don’t want to be a one book Author and hence I have already released my first anthology called the stories of courage last week, and I’m already working on my second book, I really hope the love and support my first book received. My second book will also be a beautiful amalgamation Of human bonds and Relationships I also enjoy podcasting a lot and would love to see myself. Do it more frequently in years to come for me. If my words can help anybody heal. I will feel my purpose of turning an author is achieved and all this that I did to make my father, proud of his daughter, that wish has been fulfilled.
LiFT: How much do you think marketing or quality of a book is necessary to promote a particular book and increase its readers?
Divya Gupta Kotawala: After more than two years in the world of Literature, I have come to believe that no book ever no matter how good or bad it is can reach people without the right strategy of marketing and promotion. It is one of the most important tool to help your Book reach, to more and more people always. Also it’s a great way to connect with more authors and learn every day. The quality and the presentation of the book. Also definitely place a very important role to attract readers towards it. I clearly remember when my book was launched initially, most of the people had attracted , towards its beautiful cover and the use of colours and they told me that it played a very important role for them to feel motivated enough to purchase it and read it. Also, any form of marketing that helps your Book reach a wider audience is worth the effort always.
LiFT: What is the message you want to spread among folks with your writings?
Divya Gupta Kotawala: The biggest message I want to communicate through my book is that our life is very very precious, and we should learn to live in the moment instead of forever planning about what future holds for us as what if tomorrow never comes! For me, forgetting the past, living in the present and being grateful for all what we have today is the perfect way to live a beautiful life. Also, through this book, I want to tell everybody to hold onto precious relationships in our life close to us and value them completely, such as our parents as some bonds are not only special. They are also irreplaceable and sometimes it’s too late to understand the pain of losing them and there is no way back to make things right all over again, so I urge everybody to be grateful of there today and do, all the good work that can make out tomorrow worth living for
LiFT: What do you do apart from writing?
Divya Gupta Kotawala: Today writing has become a passion, but I write to share my feelings with others who might have gone through the same pain like mine, and I had no support system because I strongly feel when we share pain, it definitely reduces so these days through my podcasting and motivational speaking I am making a conscious effort to connect with those who also might have lost a loved one like me and all they want is to find closures over their feelings. I also have a very strong spiritual site and I am a firm believer that a strong faith can help you stay calm and focused, and pull you out of any, heavy and difficult situation. Apart from writing, I spent my time doing social work that gives me a lot of happiness and peace. It’s my way to give back to the society. Whatever little I can in my capacity and show my gratitude to the divine power always for everything that they have given me so far.
LiFT: What are the activities you resort to when you face a writer’s block?
Divya Gupta Kotawala: During my first book, I suffered a major Writers block after completing my first draft. As I was going through a very heavy period of my grief. It was then I realised that having a strong religious faith helps in bringing back focus and any form of meditation or maybe music is a great way to bring focus back, eventually, it’s a combination between the feelings of our heart, and the thoughts of our mind that can together create the magic in the form of our words, and any form of healing can definitely help you deal with the Writers block.
LiFT: Are you working on your next book? If yes, please tell us something about it.
Divya Gupta Kotawala: Yes, of course, I definitely don’t want to be a one book wonder as I have already mentioned. My first anthology is now life and my second book is again about human relationships. Although my first book was a memo that was extremely heavy and emotional, but for my second book, that shall again be a non-fiction. I want to be relatable to more and more people and bring smile on everybody’s faces on a lighter note. I Will try that readers get to meet the fun in the happy side of Divya, the Author with my second book.
LiFT: What are your suggestions to the budding writers/poets so that they could improve their writing skills?
Divya Gupta Kotawala: I feel there is no end to stop learning something new every day. Every life can be a lesson to someone else if taken seriously and learnt well and every story is an inspiration to get motivated from so to all the budding writers all I can say is keep learning and keep growing, one needs to have awareness about the world of literature and find ways to improvise themselves every day, but most importantly what is most needed is self belief and self-love to find that most unique element in a new Writers work, we should listen to everybody around us, but eventually have faith on our skills and courage to follow our dreams to create the most unique and special piece of work finally.
Click here to order Divya Gupta Kotawala’s Book – My Dad’s Daughter
