Hi, I’m Deepa!
I’m a Filipina-Indian writer originally from Manila, residing in Amsterdam. I’m also the author of ASK ME HOW IT WORKS: LOVE IN AN OPEN MARRIAGE, forthcoming from Viking UK in May 2025.
I write from the juicy, messy places where intimacy and relationships, motherhood and family, and creativity and identity intersect. Mostly, I explore what it means to be a mother, wife, girlfriend, writer, daughter, lover and adventurer… often, all at the same time.
Growing up in the deeply religious, conservative Philippines—the last country apart from Vatican City where divorce remains illegal—my views on sex, intimacy, love and commitment were shaken and stirred by moving to Amsterdam and the seismic identity shift of motherhood. It’s been a wild ride and an immensely liberating journey as it unfolds from day to day.
In 2024, I was diagnosed with DCIS — ductal carcinoma in situ, also known as Stage 0 breast cancer — which threw me on yet another wild ride (because one is never enough!). I’d love to be writing more consistently, but at the moment I’m recovering from a lateral mastectomy and preparing for my reconstruction. All while preparing for the launch of my debut memoir in 2025!
Yep, there’s a lot to write about. So stick around, it won’t be boring.
As a memoirist, I’m fascinated by the depth and range of human experience. It gives me immense satisfaction to follow my curiosity, whether into the thrill of the new or the richness of the familiar, and share what I find there. I’m constantly learning just how much vulnerability helps me feel seen, heard and understood.
I hope you enjoy reading as much as I do writing.
Thank you for being here.
