of special counsel robert mueller‘s investigation into alleged russian meddling in the 2016 election. president trump has tweeted, again, that his campaign did nothing wrong and that there was no collusion. the fbi has said it did not properly follow up on a warning that the florida school shooting suspect might carry out an attack. nikolas cruz has confessed to carrying out the attack, which killed 17 people. in his first state of the nation address, south africa's new president, cyril ramaphosa, has spoken of a new dawn for the country. he pledged to build a society defined by decency and integrity. the brazilian army is to take full control of security in rio de janeiro state. president michel temer said organised crime has virtually seized control there. now on bbc news, it's time for talking books. hello and welcome to talking books,

here at the birmingham literature festival. today it is celebrating its 20th birthday. this festival brings together writers, poets, speakers and thinkers across the whole of the city centre. today i am talking to preeti shenoy, who began her career writing a blog that has gone on to become one of india's top—selling writers and an influential celebrity. you are the only woman, preeti shenoy, on the list of india's top—selling writers. why? shenoy, on the list of india's top-selling writers. why? (laughs). people like my writing. but is there something you are doing that perhaps others are not? i think my books do have an emotional connection, and one thing i am not afraid to do is

go out there and market my books, i think it is important to, if you have written a book, you have to have written a book, you have to have the courage to stand up and say, hey, this is my book, this is what i have written about. because u nless what i have written about. because unless you talk about your book and u nless unless you talk about your book and unless you talk about your book and unless you believe in the book, why should others? that is one thing which i follow. it's a business, in other words. it is, because if your books don't sell, your publishers don't make any money, and they won't wa nt to don't make any money, and they won't want to publish you. i know you have said in the past, in india, you tend to either be a wife or a mother, and given the size of the population, a number of women in the workforce is proportionately very low. so ijust wonder, do you see yourself as a role model for women in india? wonder, do you see yourself as a role modelfor women in india? no, here's the thing. i don't see myself asa here's the thing. i don't see myself as a role model, others seeming as a role model, and i am like, oh, what have i done? i don't really think about it. i am most comfortable when iam about it. i am most comfortable when i am sitting in my hiding hole in my home and writing will stop that is

when i am most comfortable. would you be comfortable being called a feminist? i don't know, because the word feminist has many connotations. i would say that i believe in equal rights for men and women, i do believe in equal rights. i think it is important as a woman to speak up for what you believe in, and if that makes me a feminist, and i am a feminist. you are one of india's most successful writers. how easy or difficult is it to make a living as a writer in india? if you have gone into the big league, by big—league i mean, if you sell something like 30,000 copies or thereabouts, and you will get good advances. i have been fortunate, for my first and second book i could not make a living out of my writing. but now i am nine book sold, so now i can com pletely am nine book sold, so now i can completely make a living out of writing, which i am gratefulfor. but a new author would probably sell 2000 copies, or 2500 copies. then it

would be very difficult. so my advice to anyone who wants to make a living out of writing is, just read an till you reach the big league. don't quit your dayjob. that is how it is in india. does it help if you write in english? in each state in clear they have their language, in the regions, the book sales are smaller than the national book sales. and also when it comes to me, i have never lived in one place for more than more than three years. my father had a transferable job. we have these things called central schools in india, you have english, you have hindi. you simply don't have an option to write in english —— but in english. have an option to write in english -- but in english. it has been a journey for you from being a blogger

to one of india's most popular writers. why did you start writing a blog? to be honest i have always written, ever since i was a child. my written, ever since i was a child. my first book was at the age of probably seven rate. it was. (laughs). it was a six page book. —— seven or eight. i read a lot of enid blyton, it was inspired from there. it was four pages of text into pages of illustrations. and i used to wonder, how can anyone write 200 pages or 250 pages? but i had never gone public with my writing. i used to ta ke gone public with my writing. i used to take part in short story competitions in college and all about, but first time i went public was with my blog, and that was in 2006, october. and what happened, why did you do it? in 2006, september, i lost my father all of a sudden and it was a shock, i was

depressed, i did not know what hit me. one moment he was fine, talking toa me. one moment he was fine, talking to a mother, and the next moment he was gone. and he did not have any age—related ailments or anything of that sort, and that was the first timei that sort, and that was the first time i realised that death can be that sudden. it felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under my feet. to overcome the grief i started a blog, i did not know what i was doing, and in fact i started it anonymously. i never put my name on it. you use your initials, ps, why was that? i did not know who would be reading it. this was in 2006, and when you write something you are very vulnerable, you don't know who is going to be reading it, you don't know what will happen. so i was afraid. this is why i started anonymously. and what were you writing about in those early blogs? it was very simple stuff, i realised that even though we don't have

control over what happens to us, we do have some amount of control over what we choose to focus on. so i decided i would focus only on the positives. anything, whatever has happened during the entire course of the day, there would be one positive thing that happened. it would be very simple stuff like if i saw a rainbow i would be so happy, i would write wrappers are at —— i would write wrappers are at —— i would write about the rainbow. a small thing which is positive. and in the beginning you are essentially writing for yourself. but gradually, people started to respond to your blog. why do you think it struck such a chord? probably because there is much negativity around us. people like to feel positive, and i think they like to read that you can take i°y they like to read that you can take joy from small things. which is what idid, joy from small things. which is what i did, because i was in a very dark place in 2006, it was all very dark for me. the only ray of hope for me was clinging on to that little thing

that happened, it gave me joy. was clinging on to that little thing that happened, it gave mejoy. and i think a lot of people connected with that. and then everything changed, in 2007, when one of your blogs was picked up by an american radio show host, and it was named "the perfect post,", which must have been wonderful. i wonder if you might read us an extract from that. it is about someone you refer to as k. read us an extract from that. it is about someone you refer to as ki will read the last paragraph of it. " then out of the blue, i got the phone call saying k was dead. he had had a massive cardiac arrest, it was like a very bad nightmare coming true. i couldn't believe it. this is what happened in the movies. how could this even beat? it left me frozen, numb speechless. i did not know it then, but it would take me a lifetime to recover. it would

forever tinged all of my happy moments with sadness. it would alter the way looked at life. you see, k was not only my friend, he was also my dad." how did people respond to that? what sort of things did they say to you. i got a whole lot of comments for the post, they were all m essa 9 es comments for the post, they were all m essa g es of comments for the post, they were all messages of condolence, and some of them did not know that it was fiction, or whether it was real, so i told them every word written and that was real. i don't write fiction on my blog. all of it was real. it was very touching to get so many messages, but it did not help in anyway, it did not come solely on anyway. i still the pain. anyway, it did not come solely on anyway. istill the pain. ican anyway, it did not come solely on anyway. i still the pain. i can see, you are a emotional. -- it did not consult me —— console. you are a emotional. -- it did not consult me -- console. 34 of your most popular posts were brought together in a book called 34

bubblegums and candies. which is a wonderful and rather unusual title. actually that book is being relaunched, at that time i thought it was great, i was excited. but now i have grown as a writer, but when i look at the book, i kind of hide it, even though that was... (laughs). it is going to be called love a little stronger, because that is more releva nt. stronger, because that is more relevant. 34 bubblegums and candies was interesting, it was like a little bubblegum, whatever happens to us, where you keep chewing and you extract it and then you discarded, or it can be a candy, a little sweet nothing which you swallow you feel good about. life is like that, anything that happens to us, like that, anything that happens to us, every like that, anything that happens to us, every incident can either be a bubblegum or a candy. that was the thought behind naming the book. you are very honest in the book, was there any reason to think, oh, i better not this in the public

domain? no, but here is the thing, i did not expect everybody to be reading it, i did not expect to be this well—known. so now that is the reason i are relaunching the book, i haven't altered anything, i have edited the old stories. but i think it is fine to share because i have learnt that when you share you become closer to people, because people open up, it is when you open up, people open up, and now glad that someone has written about it. someone has shed the pain, someone has shared the joy. is there anything you wouldn't write about? politics. (laughs). i anything you wouldn't write about? politics. (laughs). iwould never write about politics. i think you have to write about things that interest you, that you are passionate about full top and politics, i feel it divides people, art, literature, culture, it brings people together. so that is one thing i don't write about. nonetheless, it's a big leap from going from writing a blog to writing

fiction. how difficult it is fine that transition? it was very difficult. they are two completely different things. but what happened is that after my first book it met with moderate success, it wasn't huge successful, so after that first book, we moved to the uk. so i lived in norwich for a while. that was where i wrote my second book. i think being in norwich helped, because i had access to a library. the first time i went to the library in the uk, they said "you can take 15 books. " i was like, wow, 15 books? i had never heard that before. between me, my husband and two children, that is 60 books, we would carry them back and i would sit there and browse, and that kind of helped because i was reading a loss, i was exposed to a different culture, and different country, and thatis culture, and different country, and that is where my second novel was born. you didn't make life easy for

yourself, because you chose to write about a young woman with bipolar disorder. the book is called life is what you make it. when i was living in norwich i went to an art exhibition, and it was beautiful, it kind of leumeah way, and they were all painted by people with bipolar disorder. —— it kind of blue me a way. it was a bipolar artists organisation. i thought this was interesting and i wanted to investigate further, and i happen to know a psychiatric nurse in the uk so know a psychiatric nurse in the uk soi know a psychiatric nurse in the uk so i spoke to her and it got me interested. then i travelled back to india andi interested. then i travelled back to india and i went to bangalore, and thatis india and i went to bangalore, and that is where one of the finest mental health hospitals in india is, so mental health hospitals in india is, soi mental health hospitals in india is, so i went there, i spoke to people, and gradually the research for the book grew. i was quite interested in it, and then i wanted to use a young

girl, because, you know, people could relate, because i wanted to reach out to young people. i wanted to place her in setting that was familiar to to place her in setting that was familiarto indians, so to place her in setting that was familiar to indians, so ijust chose the places where i had gone to college, and that is how the book came about. how openly are mental health issues discussed in india?- the time when the book came out, which was in 2008, it wasn't discussed very openly. the book was a huge kind of, it made an impact. but recently, of late, things have changed a lot, people are talking about it. the book has gone on to be about it. the book has gone on to be a tremendous success, it is one of india's highest selling titles, but the path to publication was not smooth. it was rejected i think by nearly 40 publishers, was that cause of the topic, the subject, do you think? i think it was because of the subject, i'd would not know, i sent it out to every agent, in india and

the uk. i was very hopeful. every agent, the british are very polite, so agent, the british are very polite, so they would read and say "i will get back to you", and i was very hopeful, overcome they are getting back! i was very excited. and they would say it was not suitable, they would say it was not suitable, they would wish me good luck.|j would say it was not suitable, they would wish me good luck. i got used to it. it must have been dispiriting? i never thought the book was in the light of day. isaid,i i said, i have one book, let me ask my publisher. he said to trim it down because he was conscious of the cost! laughter sadly that was the truth. i know it sounds strange but i will do whatever it takes. so i cut it down and that is how that will come was published. ever since then you pretty much published a

book a year and one of the overriding themes to sum up all your books is the message that life is short and unique to seize it by the scruff of the neck. nonetheless, you do put your characters in some pretty challenging situations. i am thinking about your second novel, tea for two and a piece of cake, which opens with a woman being left by her husband. why do you challenge your characters in that way? because i think life is that way. there are things in life you cannot control and, also, if you write a novel where everything goes smoothly, it would be very boring. nobody would wa nt to would be very boring. nobody would want to read such a novel and i think it is important to show that you can have the strength, no matter what happens to you, you can have the strength to overcome whatever has happened to you and i think that is one message which i want to

convey and it is why i put my characters in difficult situations because that is real life, life is not going to be easy. something else to return to is the subject of arranged marriage. sometimes on the marriage but sometimes head—on, i'm thinking of your fourth marriage but sometimes head—on, i'm thinking of yourfourth novel, the 0ne thinking of yourfourth novel, the one you cannot have. arranged marriages are very common. they are not understood by the western world but in india, even to this day, people marry the person whom their pa rents people marry the person whom their parents choose and, of course, the rat people who have loved marriages also but arranged marriage is a reality in india. still in this world of increasing globalisation, young people still want to obey their parents wishes to smack at least they wanted their parents approval. --?. in india family

a lwa ys approval. --?. in india family always comes first and it is very important for a person who is getting married to have his mothers and fathers are provable. it is a very close—knit bond. the bonds are very close—knit bond. the bonds are very close—knit bond. the bonds are very close in india and that is why arranged marriages still exist. very close in india and that is why arranged marriages still existm brings us to your latest novel, it's all in the planets, a boy and a girl who meet but they have a already been promised to other partners. who meet but they have a already been promised to other partnerslj was on a train journey myself, travelling from delhi for a book launch, the launch of my previous book and i opened the newspaper and i saw the zx sign and all of us read it just i saw the zx sign and all of us read itjust forfun, i saw the zx sign and all of us read it just for fun, we i saw the zx sign and all of us read itjust for fun, we may i saw the zx sign and all of us read itjust forfun, we may not i saw the zx sign and all of us read itjust for fun, we may not believe it, we may believe it, and i said, what is this forms the start of every chapter in a novel? there

would be a prediction and you would come to know by the end of the chapter is the prediction has come true or not. i thought it would be very interesting. i live in bangalore and a lot of people are overweight because they let themselves go after they got a job and that is how that book came about. the idea came to me and a basin of several people i know. about. the idea came to me and a basin of several people i knowm that how books come to you, are they inspired but things that have happened to you, people you know? usually, most of the time. does anyone ever might? here's the thing, i change it so it must so if it is a male, i would i change it so it must so if it is a male, iwould probably i change it so it must so if it is a male, i would probably make him a female character because the call is what i am concerned with sadeghi do not recognise themselves. all writers borrow from real life, from

things that have happened to them andi things that have happened to them and i know different. your latest novel, about to be published, i note you have said it is your most personal to date and have drawn about your experiences. it is a story about a young man who travels back to his native village in kendriya vidyalayas. he's raised in bahrain, and he comes back to work and he has a very domineering father and he has a very domineering father and a huge ancestral property were his grandfather lives. his grandfather is a grumpy old man. in his 805. kendriya vidyalaya5 the 5lot even have internet connectivity. the boy goe5 5lot even have internet connectivity. the boy goes and talks to his grandfather and the story proceeds from there. the real hero

i5 proceeds from there. the real hero is the 80—year—old grandfather. proceeds from there. the real hero is the 80-year-old grandfather. why i5 is the 80-year-old grandfather. why is it so personal to you? is he your dad? the is it so personal to you? is he your dad ? the old is it so personal to you? is he your dad? the old man is actually based on my grandfather. my mother lives in tiny village in kendriya vidyalaya5 and every summer vacation i used to go back and there was a huge ancestral home that i spent at lea5t huge ancestral home that i spent at least two months in and what inspired the book is exactly like my ancestral home. it was lovely to reminisce, it brought back so many memories. when i was writing i was honouring tho5e memories, the time5. .. honouring tho5e memories, the times... i was struck by a comment in it's all in the planets which it 5aid in it's all in the planets which it said the early books account at literary fiction. i get asked all the time. ifind

literary fiction. i get asked all the time. i find that in india, there is a sharp divide. i would presume there is a sharp divide. i would pre5ume it is the same in the uk and the world over. literary fiction are the world over. literary fiction are the guys who went the prizes. i think it is important for your story to have the connect with the audience whether it is literary commercialfiction, you audience whether it is literary commercial fiction, you have audience whether it is literary commercialfiction, you have to audience whether it is literary commercial fiction, you have to tell a good story. that was the reason why one of my characters 5aid a good story. that was the reason why one of my characters said that comment. ijust why one of my characters said that comment. i just wondered, why one of my characters said that comment. ijust wondered, you write heartwarming stories about love and friendship and relationships and romance and i wonder if you think you might be taken more seriously as a writer if you wrote about politics, for example? a writer if you wrote about politics, for example 7|j a writer if you wrote about politics, for example? i do not think you have to write about politics to be taken seriously. my next book is completely different. i do is tell people, wait for my next

book because i always feel a better myself with each book and a5 book because i always feel a better myself with each book and as regards to serious writing, i have been published in the world, and i shall stories tend to be very dark. i tell people, if you want that kind of writing, it read my short stories. there is no redemption, there is no happy, there is no redemption, there is no happy, which is there in my novels. when i tell my readers about my short stories i warn them they are dark. they always see this happy, warm person but that is not always true. preeti shenoy thank you to us. it's been a wonderful. thank you having me. let's see what is coming

your way this weekend. for most of us the weather is actually not looking too bad at all. there is certainly some 5un5hine on the way and skies on saturday will probably look something like this, a nice picture from a weather watcher. here's the weekend summary — so we have got some 5un5hine in the forecast for saturday but sunday does not look too great at least acro55 western areas of the uk. here is the latest satellite image, we have got clouds across the country right now. but this gap in the cloud will be in place across the uk during the course of saturday. so in the short term, still some rain around acro55 western and northern areas and even a bit of hill snow. the clearest of the weather is in east anglia and the south—east through the early area, and there's a touch of frost aound as well. just a weak weather front crossing the country first thing on saturday. by the time we get to the afternoon, on saturday, the weather

would brighten up. so initially many of us will look out of that window first thing in the morning, and it will be fairly cloudy, there might be one or two spots of rain but by the time we get to the second half of the morning, the weather is looking a lot better and the afternoon bright if not sunny, apart from the odd light shower which might develop here and there. so on balance a fine day. 6 in the north of the country, there, 11 degrees the top temperature in the south. now, the forecast for saturday night so initially a lot of clear weather, in fact it is going to stay dry all the way through saturday night into sunday in the eastern and central areas but notice how the clouds are increasing out west. there's some rain spilling acro55 ireland, and that will be edging our way, and it's a big area of low pressure, with big weatherfronts here. you can see the rain on this weather front coming through. this is actually a warm front which means that behind it we've got some milder air coming our way. so on sunday it will start to turn very cloudy, murky, drizzly and mild across many western area5. so i think for places like cardiff,

eventually the north—west of england, certainly northern ireland and western scotland, you are in for a cloudy if not damp, possibly even wet afternoon. but many central and eastern areas on sunday — this is 3 o'clock on sunday — you can see it is dry in london, in hull, in newcastle and those temperatures creeping up to around about 11, maybe 12 degrees celsius. as far as the next few days are concerned, it looks like it may be turning colder. welcome to bbc news. to some breaking news. in the past hour, president trump has again brushed off que5tion5 from journalists on us gun laws after visiting a hospital in florida where victims of wednesday's high—school shooting are being treated. mr trump met some of those injured and their families. many of those affected have said former student nikloas cruz, who opened fire killing 17 people, shouldn't have been able to obtain firearm5. let's hear now what the president said after his visit, a short time ago. they have done incredible job. the

doctor was amazing.