The SURPRISING Truth About Reaching Your Audience
At the New Delhi World Book Fair 2025, held at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, from February 1 to 9, acclaimed author Sonia Sahijwani made a notable appearance at the Author’s Corner Stage on the final day, February 9, at 7:00 p.m. She participated in the panel discussion titled “Crafting Verses and Narratives: Writing Across Genres and Building Literary Communities,” where she shared her unique insights on the evolving literary landscape.
Sonia Sahijwani, the proud author of Yours Legally which is a legal fiction, has made a significant contribution to the genre of legal fiction in India. She is recognised as the one of the very few nation’s sole legal fiction writers, with her books available in both Hindi and English language.
During her discussion, she addressed the evolution of genre writing in India, noting that while new genres, like Flash Fiction, have gained popularity, legal fiction remains relatively unknown.
She encouraged fellow authors to explore and contribute to this niche, which remains underrepresented in Indian literature.
In addition to her written works, Sonia Sahijwani has expanded her storytelling approach to include audiobooks and podcasts. She emphasized the importance of embracing new formats in an increasingly digital world. Legal language can often be perceived as complex, technical and inaccessible; however, she has worked to simplify this in Yours Legallymaking it easier for a broad audience to engage with her stories.
By offering her book as an audiobook, she made legal concepts not only accessible but enjoyable for listeners. For her other book Baby on Board, a personal reflection on motherhood, the audiobook version was narrated by someone else, but for Yours Legally
She took the initiative to personally record the audio, enhancing the connection between her work and her audience.
Sonia Sahijwani is an advocate for the idea that authors should aim to attract listeners just as much as readers. She shared how audiobooks are particularly appealing because of their convenience. People can listen to them while working out, or performing other daily tasks, making it a more flexible way to consume literature.
This convenience motivated her to delve deeper into the world of audiobooks and podcasts.
In 2023, she took another leap in expanding her influence by starting her bilingual podcast, Let’s Talk Law. With the help of her publishers, she created this platform to simplify complex legal concepts for her audience, furthering her mission to make law more understandable and engaging.
Her podcast has built an unbreakable chord with listeners in both Hindi and English, offering them an easy-to-understand entry point into the complexities of legal matters.
At the New Delhi World Book Fair 2025, Sonia Sahijwani’s presence left an indelible mark on both aspiring and established writers.
Her message was clear: writers must experiment with genres and strongly focus on Legal fiction too, embrace new formats, and seek ways to extend the reach of literature beyond the written word.
Through her lively participation in the panel, Sonia Sahijwani got fellow authors to think outside the box and take some bold risks with their work. She urged them to try new things, dive into exciting genres, and connect with readers (and listeners!) in ways that go beyond the pages of a book. By embracing fresh formats, Sonia Sahijwani is paving the way for a future of literature that’s not just inclusive and accessible, but fun too!
Link for ordering Yours Legally
Link for ordering Baby on Board
Connect with the Author
https://www.instagram.com/sonyasahijwani?igsh=ejN2NnV1b2lvbGVs
