A Ghantaghar, a huge clock tower, stands at the centre of the market at Jodhpur. In my mother’s time, there were camels around the Ghantaghar too, but now, I can barely imagine there being enough room for a goat, let alone a camel! The clock cost three lakhs way back in 1911. One lakh was paid for the […]
Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur
Jodhpur – how welcoming you were to us! I know that Jodhpur, much more than Jaipur, is a place I’ll visit again! After my workshop at Central Academy, Pal, I heard stories about the Jodhpur Fort. I heard about how there are people who do not want to leave Jodhpur because they cannot live without their […]
You Can’t take an Elephant on the Bus
It’s Children’s Day; what better time to celebrate a picture book I loved? You Can’t take an Elephant on the Bus is one of the books in this year’s Reading Challenge collection, and I loved it! I enjoy picture books that rhyme. I also enjoy whacky books that don’t have a hidden agenda – to teach, preach, […]
The Reading Challenge is Back!
The Reading Challenge is back at the British Library, Pune, and this time, the theme is ‘The Big Friendly Read’! Celebrating 100 years of Roald Dahl, we have a lovely collection of books as usual. Many feature Dahl characters that I fell in love with as a child, and of course, many others with the […]
Monkeys at Matheran
The monkeys at Matheran are notorious. Everyone has a monkey story – here’s mine. I stepped out early in the morning, and was charmed. I love the freshness of mornings, and Matheran was exceptional. It was one of those times when I felt I simply had to share the morning withe everyone, so I went back […]
Matheran – Day Two
At Matheran, all we really wanted to do is get away from all the people and explore. So, the day after our visit to the market, we decided to walk to ‘Nature of Panorama Point’. I, for one, could not stop smiling at the name. The moment we left the smell of people and horses behind, […]
Matheran – Day One
Everyone keeps talking about Matheran. All my life, I’ve heard about how beautiful it is. People keep telling me that there are no cars, only horses, and that it’s a breath of fresh air. This Diwali, I finally went to Matheran–and realised that everyone was right! In The Toy Train, I wrote about how the steam engine […]
The Boy with the Tiger’s Heart
The cover of The Boy with the Tiger’s Heart is one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen. When I picked up the book, I didn’t notice the tiger, and when I did, it took my breath away! My reading of the book was certainly influenced by how beautiful it was. Every time I closed the book […]
Journeys with Shakespeare
When I was asked to speak about Shakespeare at a gathering of school principals and English teachers, I was more than a little nervous. I borrowed and read books; I watched DVDs about his life; I pulled out notes from my Master’s course on Shakespeare … And I enjoyed myself thoroughly! Reading about Shakespeare again made […]
Indywood Media Excellence Award
My father Sekhar Seshan received the Indywood Media Excellence Award for magazines at the Indywood Film Carnival held at Ramoji City, Hyderabad! The Indywood Film Carnival is a four-day festival with fifteen major events, including Golden Frame Awards, International Film Business Awards and Indywood Excellence Awards.
The Puppy Who Wanted to Fly
I enjoyed reading this short, simple play by Caron Thomas, one of the girls at the Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s School. I’ve published it here for you to read (with her permission, of course). The Puppy Who Wanted to Fly Caron Thomas Characters Puppy Little bird Mommy Daddy Cat __ Scene I A warm […]
Reading Challenge at MIT Gurukul
Going back to a school at which I was once a teacher was a whole new experience for me! Despite all the reasons I quit, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as I walked around the school. This time, I was not there an employee, but as an independent trainer from the British Council. Going to […]
Flickering Flames at the Pune International Literary Festival
The authors of Flickering Flames, an anthology of short stories and poems, were part of the Pune International Literary Festival (PILF) 2016! The young girls, all in the age-group 11-13, got the opportunity to read excerpts from their work at an event that welcomed a range of eminent speakers and writers. Of the thirteen members of the Writers’ Club at […]
Performance at Tirupathi
As a child watching a cricket match live on television, I remember asking my grandfather, “How does the camera know where to look?” Two days ago, looking at five people sitting together and ensuring that our performance was screened live all over the world, I remembered my question and smiled. Performing in Tirupathi was an experience that […]
Flickering Flames – A Review
Flickering Flames is a collection of short stories and poems written by the members of the Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s School. Here’s a little about it. Ishitaa Shevate, one of the students in the next batch of the Writers’ Club, reviewed the book: here’s what she has to say! This is a very nice book. It […]
Weekend Workshops at Bengaluru
The joy of travelling is when I can mix leisure with work. Last weekend was a long weekend, and in Karnataka, it was longer still because of Varralakshmi Poojai. Many were apparently traveeling, yet, several turned up for both workshops I conducted. At Atta Galatta, Koramangala, I conducted a creative writing workshop for the age-group 9-13. It […]
Creative Writing at Vidya Valley School
In the pouring rain, we made our way across the city to a school far, far away. It was beautiful. Greenery all around us, streams in the most unexpected places – this was not a part of the city I knew. I’d heard about Vidya Valley, and met a few students from the school at […]
Creative Writing Workshop in Bengaluru
Last year, I conducted a reading workshop at Atta Galatta, and I knew I had to go back there and do something else! The place is perfect, the ambiance charming and the children I met were lovely. So now it’s time to do something else, something new! Conducting the Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s School has […]
The Great Cheese Robbery
Lots of books on my blog this week: that’s what happens when I do a workshop for the British Library’s Reading Challenge! The Great Cheese Robbery was a delightful picture book that brought back memories of Disney’s “Dumbo”. I remember the first time I watched “Dumbo” and saw the elephants shriek at the sight of a […]
The Paper Dolls
I love Julia Donaldson! I came across her work for the first time when I read and watched The Gruffalo’s Child. Then, I read Running on the Cracks – a completely different book for a completely different audience. And now, as part of the Record Breakers Reading Challenge, I read The Paper Dolls, first by myself and then […]