Television host and actor, Mini Mathur is a popular name in Indian households. The actor was recently in the national capital to host AutHer Awards 2024’s gala awards ceremony, which was attended by the who’s who of the literary world. For the unversed, AutHer Awards is a joint initiative of JK Paper and The Times of India. It’s an annual award that honours and celebrates women writers and their exceptional work in different categories, mainly– Fiction, Non-fiction, Debut, and Children’s Literature.Apart from this, there’s also an award for Popular Choice category, Lifetime Achievement, and Best Manuscript.
Mini Mathur did a fantastic job at hosting the literary event, which was held at the Taj Palace on March 17, 2024. Post-event, we caught up with her for a quick rapid-fire round of questions about all things books. Here’s what she said:
1. Who is your favourite woman author?
My favourite woman author– it has to be a tie between Nora Ephron and Margaret Atwood.
2. Name one self-help book that helped you transform your life
‘Start Where You Are’. It’s a journaling self-help book by Meera Lee Patel.
3. Describe AutHer Award in one word
Absolutely imperative!
4. Name a book you wish you had written
‘Harry Potter‘, definitely!
5. One book which is so dear to you, that you can never lend to anyone?
‘Notes to Myself’ by Hugh Prather
6. What’s your mantra to stay positive?
When I do get stressed in life, I like to zoom-out and look at it in the larger picture. And I keep telling myself that if it is so bad, then it is only going to get better and it always does!
In an earlier interview with TOI, Mini Mathur had revealed that she loves to read in her free time and it is also her way of de-stressing. “I love to read, especially since I’m a graduate in English Literature. I daily read for one to two hours, it is a must for me. I read almost anything, be it books on cinema, autobiographies, fiction, suspense-thrillers etc. My house is filled with loads of books because my husband, mother-in-law and I are avid readers. Also because my father-in-law is a writer, there’s a plethora of books at home,” Mini had revealed.
She had added, “To find escapism from the grind of daily life, one should read books. Reading books is not only informative but also entertaining and relaxing. Today there are so many wonderful books being written by Indian authors. Besides reading, I also listen to music, and sometimes play computer or video games, and board games. At times, I have even sat on a sofa doing nothing and it rejuvenated me. I also enjoy cooking and find it very therapeutic.”
Mini Mathur did a fantastic job at hosting the literary event, which was held at the Taj Palace on March 17, 2024. Post-event, we caught up with her for a quick rapid-fire round of questions about all things books. Here’s what she said:
1. Who is your favourite woman author?
My favourite woman author– it has to be a tie between Nora Ephron and Margaret Atwood.
2. Name one self-help book that helped you transform your life
‘Start Where You Are’. It’s a journaling self-help book by Meera Lee Patel.
3. Describe AutHer Award in one word
Absolutely imperative!
4. Name a book you wish you had written
‘Harry Potter‘, definitely!
5. One book which is so dear to you, that you can never lend to anyone?
‘Notes to Myself’ by Hugh Prather
6. What’s your mantra to stay positive?
When I do get stressed in life, I like to zoom-out and look at it in the larger picture. And I keep telling myself that if it is so bad, then it is only going to get better and it always does!
In an earlier interview with TOI, Mini Mathur had revealed that she loves to read in her free time and it is also her way of de-stressing. “I love to read, especially since I’m a graduate in English Literature. I daily read for one to two hours, it is a must for me. I read almost anything, be it books on cinema, autobiographies, fiction, suspense-thrillers etc. My house is filled with loads of books because my husband, mother-in-law and I are avid readers. Also because my father-in-law is a writer, there’s a plethora of books at home,” Mini had revealed.
She had added, “To find escapism from the grind of daily life, one should read books. Reading books is not only informative but also entertaining and relaxing. Today there are so many wonderful books being written by Indian authors. Besides reading, I also listen to music, and sometimes play computer or video games, and board games. At times, I have even sat on a sofa doing nothing and it rejuvenated me. I also enjoy cooking and find it very therapeutic.”
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