An Interview with Nveen Sridhar
Naveen Sridhar is a novelist whose stories bring the ancient world vividly to life. From the bustling streets of Sumer to the royal courts of the Hittites and the crossroads of Indo-Greek kingdoms, his books uncover the untold lives of queens, priestesses, warriors, and ordinary people caught in extraordinary times.
Born in India and making his home in Germany, Naveen’s life has been a journey across cultures—an experience that inspires his writing. Trained as a scientist with a Ph.D. in chemistry and chemical engineering, he spent his career as a research scientist in German industry, publishing widely. Alongside science, he also explored the art of entertainment and authored a guide to ventriloquism.
His novels—Starlight in the Dawn, Vinoda’s Vengeance, Candlelight in a Storm, and A Hittite and a Shaman—weave together meticulous research with a love for storytelling. Candlelight in a Storm, a deeply personal memoir about his late wife’s life in wartime and divided Germany, stands as both a history and a tribute.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
In my early days, the book Sinuhe, the Egyptian by Mika Waltari sparked my interest in ancient history. At that time, my late mother was a well-known author in two languages in India. Later, I got interested in other cultures and volunteered at an excavation in Israel; we dug back to the fourth century AD. Married to a German, I have always lived between two cultures, a theme that runs through all my fiction so far. I have traveled widely and am fluent in seven to eight languages.
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
I was a chemical engineering research scientist in the German industry. I was also in the entertainment business and wrote a guide to it. I was a yoga teacher as well.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
I had to do a lot of research to ensure the basis of my story was accurate and to connect the events. The story is based on a real treaty and a recorded friendship between two queens.
What part of publishing your book made it feel real for the first time?
It was not the first book I published, nor the last. I cannot remember any phase of publishing that made me feel special or real in this case.
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
An imagined music of ancient Egypt!
What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?
Recorded history does not concern itself with the stories behind the facts, and the people who made things happen, unless they are kings and warriors. Look behind the screen with fantasy.
What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?
The acceptance by experts and readers: the reviews, comments, and the awards.
What creative projects are you currently working on?
I am now working on a story set in Ancient Rome that involves two cultures of yore.
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