People Called Ahmedabad addresses its people, places and their stories. The authors either had a protagonist for their story or they themselves were the protagonists writing the story from their perspective, about the experiences they had. After living the moments, penning them down, we thought why not take the authors on a trip down the memory lane and make them relive those moments!

So here’s what they have to say-

Chitra Unnithan - It was a fantastic experience to write stories for the book. All three of my subjects were extremely knowledgeable, gracious and generous. I realized that I had taken Ahmedabad for granted. I was truly surprised at how much my city has to offer and how little I had noticed before. I have a renewed respect for the city and its people, thanks to People Called Ahmedabad. The more I talk about this project, the more positive vibes come my way. My conversations with friends and colleagues have become more vibrant. It feels really, really good to have been associated with the project. I feel more connected to my city now. The project has made me see the city in a more special, vibrant way, especially because earlier, I thought I knew everything about this city. I learned more history than I already knew. The stories about my city inspire me.

Parth Trivedi – I had written for websites but never for books. So, the whole thing about what I’ll write will be in a book and it’ll have copies was very exciting. I’ve written stories about the people I already know but through this process, I achieved a new perspective towards them. I’ve lived in the city for 22 years so, the city is very close to me and the fact that someone was documenting the city through narratives was very interesting. I chose to take some counter-intuitive steps and instead of venturing into newer areas, I chose to stay in the domains I knew and write about people I know but with a different approach. I looked at them as subjects rather than as people I already knew. Because of the project I have started looking at things more objectively and I have become less judgmental. The stories I wrote had more of a personal flavor so it did not really change the vision of the city for me but it definitely changed the way I look at it. I now observe conversations with people more closely and objectively. Lastly talking about the city, Ahmedabad is a city that never sleeps, it only sleeps because it has the compulsion to.

Sriram- Through PCA, I rediscovered Ahmedabad after living here for six years. I had an image of the city in mind which evolved when I started writing, explored unknown parts of the city, talked to people and discovered new aspects of the city. I was always interested in cities and how they function, through PCA, I got an opportunity to see this closely. According to me, hearing and telling stories are important. It is important to know how various narratives map a story. Through the process of PCA, I have learnt how to approach people, engaging with people has made me more patient, it has made me receptive and I've become an active listener. It also taught me that when you actually listen to people, they share more with you. Lastly talking about Ahmedabad, it is a city with contrasting personalities and your experience here depends upon what part you live in rather what side of the city’s personality you encounter.

The authors’ responses clearly show the impact that the book has had on them. Every moment, every experience big or small has been etched onto their minds and all of them have rediscovered the city in ways which they never expected to. It’s indeed a city of the people!