Athira Vijayakumar

Interview With Author Athira Vijayakumar

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I go by the pen name Aira Lior. Writing has always been something I turned to when I couldn’t make sense of the world around me — or inside me. Ira: The Light Within is my first book. It wasn’t planned; it just came out of a season in my life when I needed to put things into words in order to survive them.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s called Ira: The Light Within. “Ira” means light, and that word stayed with me through some of my darkest days. The book came from a place of personal transformation — becoming a mother, losing things I never thought I would, and learning to sit with silence and still be okay. I didn’t write it to be read by many. I wrote it because I had to. But when I finished, I felt like maybe someone else out there might need it too.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in bursts — usually late at night or early in the morning when everything is quiet. I scribble ideas in my phone notes or on the back of receipts if I’m out. I can’t force it. Sometimes I go weeks without writing a word. Then one evening, a line will come out of nowhere and suddenly I’m writing for hours.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve always loved writers who say complex things in the simplest, most honest way. Kamala Das has influenced me deeply — the rawness and courage in her writing still stuns me. I find myself going back to Rumi when I’m looking for something timeless and soulful. I’ve also enjoyed authors like Nicholas Sparks and Ravinder Singh — there’s something comforting about the way they write about love, loss, and longing. Beyond books, I’m inspired by music, films, and even the way a stranger might tell a story at a bus stop. Real life in all its messiness is where most of my inspiration comes from.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing a novella — it’s a love story, but not the easy kind. It’s about a girl who falls in love with someone society doesn’t approve of. The story follows her from childhood into adulthood through friendship, loss, and the quiet heartbreak of choosing between your people and your truth.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, Instagram has been the most meaningful space. I’ve met some incredibly kind readers there. I try not to overthink marketing — I just share from the heart and hope it finds the right people.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t wait until you feel ready. You’ll never feel completely ready. Write what feels real to you, even if it scares you. Especially if it scares you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Be where your feet are.”
It reminds me to stop living in the ‘what ifs’ and show up fully in the now whether I’m writing, mothering, grieving, or just trying to get through the day.

What are you reading now?
Lately, I’ve been dipping in and out of poetry old favourites, and sometimes random verses I stumble upon online or in forgotten books. I’m not reading anything in particular from start to finish, just letting myself be drawn to whatever speaks to me in the moment. Some days it’s a poem, other days it’s a diary entry or a line from a film. I think I’m more interested in feelings than genres right now.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to keep writing stories that feel true even if they’re fictional. I’d love to write a full-length novel someday. For now, I’m just focusing on showing up and writing what wants to be written.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Tiny Beautiful Things
Dear John
Your Dreams are Mine Now

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