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 […]
Reading Challenge at MGM Clover Dale
The Imagination Box, which I wrote about yesterday, as well as the books I’ll be writing about in the days ahead, were part of the Reading Challenge organised by the British Library. As always, I enjoyed myself thoroughly conducting a series of workshops at MGM Clover Dale High School in Aurangabad. The theme for their Reading Challenge […]
The Imagination Box
Isn’t the name wonderful? The Imagination Box is the story of a boy called Tim, who has convinced himself that all he needs in life are his pencil and paper (and some confectionery would do no harm). Recently adopted, he knows that all the papers have been signed, but cannot help thinking of his new home […]
The Boy in the Dress
I started reading The Boy in the Dress long ago and never ended up finishing it. I don’t know why. Maybe I was in no mood to deal with all the mucus in the second chapter. Or maybe I was just not in the right mood. I picked up the book again because I watched a “Britain’s Got Talent” […]
Author Visit
Yesterday, the Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s School welcomed Leela Gour Broome, author of Flute in the Forest and Red Kite Adventure. Mrs Broome introduced her two books and spoke to the children about the process of writing them. “I’m not a fan of fantasy,” she said when the children asked her what she reads. “I think […]
Workshop on Communicative English
The six-hour journey from Pune to Beed was lovely. I love travelling in the monsoon through pouring rain, looking at all the shades of green passing by. I love the hills in the rain. They’re so full of life, so different from the parched summer browns! My workshop last weekend was with Gurukul English School […]
Flickering Flames
Last week, St. Mary’s School officially launched Flickering Flames, an anthology of poems and stories I edited as the facilitator of the Writers’ Club. The teachers have their copies already, and I’ve heard some lovely comments about the book. Here’s a little about it for those who are reading about this for the first time … In […]
Shine
What a puzzling book Shine was! It leaves me all mixed up in terms of what I feel about it. It’s a page turner, that’s for sure. I began to read and just kept reading without ever stopping. Yet, there were just so many places when I groaned and felt it was too predictable. There were things […]