Meet Manya Pathak | Book Blogger, Researcher and Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Manya Pathak and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Manya, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am from New Delhi, India. I grew up in a house where reading and love for language was an overarching theme.

Growing up, when my brother and I used to study for exams, our mother used to sit next to us and read novels. In between breaks from studying, she used to tell us the plot of the book she was reading, however far she was in the story. I have seen her being engrossed in books from my childhood to adulthood.

My father on the other hand had a love for English language and not fiction books per se. We had many dictionaries in our house back when there were no dictionary apps. My father used to maintain notebooks of words with their meanings and that practice always fascinated me.

My grandfather was also a language enthusiast. My uncle was a collector of books. In short, books and literature have been all around me since forever.

The impact all of this had on me has been life saving. I have turned to books in my darkest hours since I was a teen. The reason I decided to start book blogging was because of my love for books. I started my career with working as an Editor in a publishing house. All the adult friendships I have are a result of meeting people as a book blogger or an editor.

And books are probably also the reason I got the opportunity to be featured on your platform!

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I work as a researcher and writer. I think I am most proud of the fact that I did not give up despite wanting to, so so many times. Nothing comes easy. That’s my biggest takeaway from my career journey, nothing comes easy and if it does, it may get harder just to teach you a lesson.

There’s a cost to pay for everything you get in life and accepting this fact is the best thing a person can do for themselves. Having said that, another lesson that I learnt is that one should know when to give up and when to keep trying.

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If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I think Delhi is the best city – all Delhites say that so forgive me! But there’s so much to see and experience.

1. Visit Chandni Chowk and have a food walk and satisfy your taste buds followed by exploring monuments in the same area.
2. Go to Humayun’s Tomb, Lodhi Gardens, Qutub Minar, Old Fort, National Museum, Handicrafts Museum. (all this cannot be done within a day by the way)
3. Eat at the Diggin cafe and the Big Chill Cafe (they are my personal favorites)
4. Visit Janpath
5. Go to Sarojini for some street shopping

I could go on and on!

Alright, so let’s jump right in! The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc. that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?
Taylor Swift – her strength, creativity and compassion amazes me.

Also, Harry Potter books used to be my home. Harry, Ron and Hermione felt like friends I never had. And magic! I am all for magic and friendships!

Website: https://markbymanyaa.wordpress.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markbymanya/

Youtube: youtube.com/@MarkbyManya

Image Credits
These images are owned by me.