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By Thandiwe McCarthy, Frye Correspondent
The person I’m checking in with today is Bindu Suresh who is the author of the novella “26 knots” (Invisible 2019). She is a former journalist who has two degrees, written hundreds of articles and is currently a full time Pediatrician. I was able to catch her for a phone call to chat about writing life and what inspired her new book “The Road Between Us” (Assembly Press 2025) which was long listed for a Giller Prize in 2025.
What story had the greatest impact on you?
So, I would say “Atonement” by Ian McEwan (Vintage 2003) and “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” by Richard Flanagan (Vintage 2015). I’m not going to do any spoilers. But essentially, both of these stories have an emotional moment or early action that just kind of takes all the characters and turns them onto a different path in a such a dramatic way that’s also so human and realistic. And that’s the reason it’s so impressive to me because it’s what I’m trying to do as a writer. It’s to show that moment where someone is making a decision or they do something that kind of changes the course of their life. Anyway, if you read either book, you’ll know exactly the moment that I’m talking about. And I just find that due to those moments those stories still sit with me.
What was the spark that inspired “The Road Between Us”?
I sat down in front of a blank page, and for whatever reason, the first thing that came to me was the idea of a conversation between a man and a woman. The woman is calling the man and she’s reticent to do so because of a strong emotional connection that they had. She also is using this phone conversation as an excuse to get back into touch. I wrote this conversation out. She’s asking him for a favor and at the time I didn’t even know what the favor was, but I had this feeling that she had in making this call. I built this entire story around the feeling and that initial phone call, and that’s actually still the first page of this book, funnily enough.
Let’s hear about the writing practice and why it works for you?
I think it’s about trying to find the time where you can write and not being a perfectionist about it. I’m a huge perfectionist. So this is something I really had to learn when I was in my 20s. Back then I was like, okay in order to write I need to be in a romantic city, and I need to be well rested, and well fed, and well caffeinated, and have an unlimited amount of time. And I used to wait to be inspired. And now I don’t believe any of that. Basically all I need is a decent chair, be well rested, and have a one or two hour block. I will go with that.
What part of your writing career brings you the most joy?
I might have to give a multiple answer again. There are just too many good things about it. So, the first thing I’ll say is the actual writing. The feeling of when you’re in the zone, the writing is just flowing, and you’re happy with every word. Then you get to the end of your paragraph or your page and you feel amazing. And you don’t touch that page from the day you wrote it to the day that it’s printed, that’s that page. I love that feeling. That will be number one.
Number two, I’ll say is the day that your author’s copies arrive and you open the box and there’s still this moment of absolute wonder that you’ve written a physical book. And you just think wow I’ve really created something. That is another amazing moment.
Frye Festival, what are you looking forward to?
I’m excited to come to New Brunswick, it’s one of the only provinces or territories I haven’t been to, so I’m delighted. Also, I’m really excited about Frye Fever, which I’ll be a part of this year. It just sounds extremely cool as an event. I love dancing. I love the idea of the collaborative mini residency before the festival. I feel like as a pediatric, like someone who works in pediatric emergency, and I was a journalist, formerly, a general assignment reporter. My favorite mental state is completing new work under short deadlines. So the idea of having to kind of come up with something like a day or two before for this event that involves dancing, I’m so excited.
I had a fun time checking in with Bindu Suresh and I hope everyone supports their newest novel “The Road Between Us”, available at your local bookstore and online. And if you want to run into Bindu Suresh and other authors come to the 2026 Frye Festival April 24 – May 4 in Moncton, New Brunswick. Hope to see you all there,
With Love and Respect
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Bindu Suresh is coming to the Frye Festival!
- FRYE Fever — April 24, 2026 · 8 PM
- Entangled Lives — April 25, 2026 · 3 PM
- FRYE Cabaret — April 25, 2026 · 7:30 PM
Thandiwe McCarthy
Thandiwe McCarthy est un poète afro-canadien de la septième génération, écrivain, conférencier et correspondant culturel pour le magazine Maritime EDIT, où il met en lumière les chefs de file et les artistes de la communauté noire. Connu pour ses spectacles uniques de « Vibe Harvesting », il crée spontanément de la poésie lors d’événements organisés dans les Maritimes.
Thandiwe a cofondé la New Brunswick Black Artists Alliance et organisé l’événement provincial Emancipation Celebration. Il a joué un rôle clé dans la reconnaissance du 1er août comme Jour de l’émancipation au Nouveau-Brunswick. Bien qu’il se soit retiré du travail bénévole, ses contributions ont laissé un impact durable sur la communauté.
L’initiative « Still Here », qui célèbre quinze générations de familles noires du Nouveau-Brunswick, se prépare à une exposition artistique nationale à la Galerie d’art Beaverbrook et à un livre distribué dans le monde entier et publié par Goose Lane Editions, qui seront tous deux lancés en juillet 2025.
Les mémoires de Thandiwe, « Social Oblivion : Raised Black in New Brunswick », est disponible dès maintenant.
Bindu Suresh
