I received my prize from the Deccan Herald yesterday, which was an interesting experience. The cheque will help, even after the tax deductions, but some sort of certificate for memory's sake would have been nice. Er, or did they give us one and I forgot it?

It was a little strange to be talking to strangers about something that used to exist only inside my head. But also a bit pleasing, like finally getting a chance to natter on and on about your dreams to other people, which is quite fitting because this story began as a dream.

I met the man who illustrated the story,Yatish, who works for the DH, and told him how much I liked what he'd done. He said the illustration was hand-drawn, then coloured in photoshop, and he'd send me the soft copy.