Talking of Muskaan has been on my to-read list for a long time, and I finally bought it, read it and loved it. It was everything it promised to be - moving, relatable and real.Muskaan knows herself better than a lot of others her age. That does not make life easier for her; in fact, it makes things much more difficult. It is impossible for her to pretend to be something she is not. More importantly, why should she need to? But it's the people around her - her "friends" - that make all the difference. She doesn't come out about her sexuality to everyone, yet rumours spread and whispers grow louder ...I love the range of characters in the book, touching almost every kind of person I know. Aaliya - determined to be heterosexual because she believes she can convince herself. Subhojoy - empathetic without being an activist. Rashika - the peacemaker who wishes things could just be … [Read more...]
I love limericks!
Limericks are fun! Very often, during a short session on creative writing, we work with limericks. They're good fun, sparking much conversation and laughter. Many, many children love limericks too - one of my students even wrote a short story in limericks, which is part of Flickering Flames - An Anthology of Poems and Short Stories. But that one deserves a post on its own, so I'll come to it some other time.Recently, we were talking about limericks at a workshop for 7 to 10-year-olds. One girl wanted to share a limerick she knew by heart, so she did. It's a famous one by Edward Lear, which may be familiar to many. There was an old man with a beard, Who said, "It is just as I feared— Two owls and a hen, Four larks and a wren, Have all built their nests in my beard!" Very often, though, in a workshop that has a widish age-group of children, I need to … [Read more...]
Reading Challenge at Clover Dale, Aurangabad
I put a ten-rupee coin into the bubblegum machine Soon, bubblegums flew out and hit my head! For a moment, I wondered; then I realised That I'd put a hundred-rupee coin into the machine instead! - adapted from a poem written in about seven minutes by one of the participants at yesterday's workshop.* *If anyone who reads this knows the name of the writer, please share it in the comments below!I love the Reading Challenge, and The Big Friendly Read is among my favourite themes."Could you name a book you enjoyed?" I asked. "Grrr," replied a serious-faced young participant. For a moment, there was silence; then everyone burst out laughing. "I've read it too!" cried one. "Me too!" "Me too!" "I liked No!" said another. "No!"Laughter and madness go hand-in-hand when we explore Roald Dahl, a range of other stories in the collection, and Sir Quentin … [Read more...]
The Emily Series
If I wanted to make friends with Anne Shirley, I was Emily. I deliberately use the italics Emily loves; Mr Carpenter isn't here to censure! With a pang that borders on envy, I wonder, how could L.M. Montgomery create so many wonderful characters? Emily of New Moon tells the story of a sensitive young girl who cannot choose not to write. As I read it, I was convinced that I alone could understand Emily's "flash"! No one around her understands what she means; of course not! "The flash" is so unpredictable, so incomprehensible, so wonderful! With the first mention of "the flash" I was a fan of the Emily series forever.L.M. Montgomery's talent for creating characters and situations is incredible. I found myself blossoming as I read the Emily series. I loved Perry and Ilse; I loved everything about the story. What warmed my heart from the beginning was the fact that Emily was … [Read more...]
The Anne of Green Gables Series
Pictureskew. Kindred spirits. The Lake of Shining Waters. Carrots! Rilla-my-Rilla. Puffed sleeves.The first time I read Anne of Green Gables, I felt the queer ache that Anne describes when she comes across something beautiful. Beauty that is intangible, almost unknowable. If I'd known the word 'sublime', I would have used it. Of course there were parts that were dull. Of course there were parts were the sentences ran on and on. Of course there were paragraphs on end that I skipped. But I loved Anne. I loved Anne so much that I was jealous of Diana Barry. Diana, mundane and unimaginative, did not deserve Anne!When I finished Anne of Green Gables, I read the next and the next and the next until I could breathe again. That's when I discovered that there was a movie called Anne of Green Gables. I could not believe that Anne could be made into a movie. … [Read more...]
Vidya Valley Literature Festival
If you think children don't find reading interesting anymore, think again. At Vidya Valley School's Literature Festival, it was absolutely delightful to see children running around, roaring with excitement, thrilled to bits with the very idea of a lit fest! This was my second year at the festival, and it was even better than the first.I was asked to talk about my railway adventures to class V, and the experience was invigorating. I was astounded by the number of children who knew how bullet trains run. I didn't know a thing until I began this project! "Magnets," many said, quite coolly. Still others said, even more comfortably, "Mag-lev - magnetic levitation."When I read out an excerpt from The Toy Train, I realised that bullet trains, being new and exciting aren't the only things that are familiar to the children. They knew about the steam engine and the toy trains in … [Read more...]
I used to think
I used to think That if I held my breath, I could make friends with Anne Shirley, George, Sara Crewe, And Dorothy.I used to think That if I oiled my doll’s hair And shampooed it Maybe trimmed it now and then; If I took care of it, It would grow.I used to think That if I just knew how, I could transport myself To the Lake of Shining Waters Or Kirrin Island Or even Norway, which was as made up as the rest.I used to think That if I caught the mirror unawares, I would find it doing something else Its own thing Without me in it.I used to think That if I believed hard enough The Tooth Fairy would be real. As real as Matilda.I used to think That if I felt enough Or thought enough Or was enough, I would be in a book With real adventures And characters who loved deeply and spoke so beautifully.I used to think That hiding in my dark room, Was a … [Read more...]
Creative Writing Workshop at The Story Station
Every time I work with children, I realise how much I enjoy it! They are much more imaginative than others, and much less inhibited. When The Story Station asked me to conduct a writing session with children over the age of eight, I knew it would be fun.For me, the highlight of the session was the story "The Dictionary" from my The Story-Catcher. It's not the first time I'm working with this story, but it's fun each time. I told the story of ten-year-old Sana, off to visit her grandparents for her holidays. In her favourite room at her grandparents' place, the library, she discovers an old, old dictionary, in which she finds three letters. The first is from her great-grandfather, the second is from her grandfather, and the third is from her mother. They all begin with 'Dear Reader'. Charmed, Sana begins to write a letter of her own.At this point, I ask the children … [Read more...]
The author in you
The Story Station turns two!The Story Station is a reading centre in Aundh, Pune, where adults and children can discover the love of books. A space that's always bursting with energy, it hosts all kinds of activities, revolving around reading, storytelling and creative writing.I'm delighted to be part of their birthday week fest. 'The author in you' is a creative writing workshop that I will be conducting this Sunday for children over the age of eight. See you there! … [Read more...]
Books and Travelling Go Together!
I've had a lot of work to do, so I've obviously been avoiding it by reading everything I can. I read a few old favourites, swallowing them whole as comfort reading as I postponed all the work that lay pending. I returned to Georgetter Heyer after a long time, rereading Venetia and These Old Shades ... Ah, how I enjoyed them! I think the word 'sparkling' suits her writing so well!I also got around to reading a lot of books that have been on my reading list for ages, so here's a list from the last month.Yes, I just read the wonderful Pippi Longstocking for the first time! A couple of years ago, I read Pippi in the South Seas and I did (kind-of) apologise for not having read Pippi Longstocking yet. I finally read it and loved it! For me, Pippi has a Dahl-esque quality of ridiculous humour that makes me laugh almost … [Read more...]