I did not know what a masterclass was. 'Masterclass'. It was something my musician-friends spoke about, but I had never experienced myself.When the British Library organised a masterclass in creative writing with Prof Bill Herbert, I knew I had to enroll.Sometimes, there are many things about writing that you know. Rule #1: Show, don't tell. Rule#2: Always treat your first draft as what it is: a first draft. Rule#3: Read what you have written. Step out from your world to read. Rule #4: Understand the role of the senses while revealing character. Rule#5: Read aloud to taste the phrases you write and find out if they sound as good in reality as they do in your head.We know all these things.Yet, to sit there with other writers and listen to the same things again is rewarding. Each idea is a gentle reminder that the world gives you to bring back what you've forgotten, and reassure … [Read more...]
“For Boys”
When will we stop gender stereotyping children? … [Read more...]
Lari Don
I was introduced to Lari Don thanks to the Mythical Maze Reading Challenge, and if for nothing else, I'm glad of the challenge for that! Of the First Aid for Fairies series, I read the last one first, and then I had to read the others.Once again, I realised why children like series. A single book is not like a short story. A short story delivers what it promises to deliver - a picture. A book makes you want more - a sequel, a prequel, a continuation. If you fall in love with a book, you fall in love with the characters. When the characters are your friends, you want to spend more time with them and get to know them better.That's how it was with this series. Despite the fact that I did not read the series in order, I enjoyed it thoroughly. I love brave, loyal Yann and Lee who cannot be trusted. Helen Strang with her violin - I could hear the melodies … [Read more...]
Leopard III
It was a cold, cold morning in new Nagzira. We had already won the appreciation of the guides there because we showed up diligently at 6 every morning, despite the fact that we saw 'nothing' (read: no tiger).New Nagzira, as many blogs and reviews would tell you, has barely any animals. A few bison, if you are lucky. A couple of deer (literally, two). A handful of monkeys.That morning, apart from the trees, we had seen nothing. Not a single deer, not a single monkey, not a single bison. We had heard a parakeet screeching - that was about as close we had got to seeing wildlife."Leopard?" asked our driver suddenly. "Leopard!" cried the guide.The leopard, startled at seeing tourists, darted into the trees. From between the bushes, it looked at us and growled. We watched, trembling. Cold, thrill, excitement - read 'trembling' in any way you like.The leopard realised that we were … [Read more...]
Leopard II
It was nearing the time to leave the forest, but we headed back towards the rest house in old Nagzira. The guide needed to use the washroom.There are lots of deer and monkeys near the rest house, so tourists invariably stand around taking photographs.On that day, there were people standing in their jeeps, looking fixedly in one direction."There's something there," I said, frowning. "Must be deer. People are always excited to see deer." "No ..." I insisted. "People don't stand to see deer."And that's when someone gestured to us frantically. "Leopard, leopard!"It was right there, at the rest house! And it was in the mood to hunt.A leopard's camouflage is excellent. It was in plain sight, but a little distance away. We could make out that it was there only when it moved. We watched. A herd of deer was grazing just beyond.And then a doe and fawn emerged.The leopard eyed … [Read more...]
Mythical Maze – Workshop II
The Mythical Maze Reading Challenge is nearly over!After Reading and Role Play and Idioms Are My Cup of Tea, today has Myths from around the World and Myths and Fables.I showed the little ones a map of the world. These children are in the age-group 5-7.We were reading a 'story from Arabia', Where There is Will. "Do you know where Arabia could be?" I asked.One child stood up. "I think it is here," she said, pointing to the entire Gulf region."Good!""Do you know how I know?""How?""See, this is India. Over here, this sea is called the Arabian Sea. So the Arabian Sea has to touch Arabia, right?" … [Read more...]
Leopard
We did our research before we went to Nagzira. We knew there were barely any tigers, but we also knew that many, many tourists saw a leopard in Nagzira. Surely, in eleven safaris, we would see one too.The first, second, third, fourth (in Koka) and fifth safaris were over. We were restless. Much as we enjoyed each safari, we wanted something more. Something to write home about. I love bison. I love monkeys, deer and birds. I love trees and sunshine. But I wanted more.In Nagzira, we often felt as if we were the only people in the forest. Unlike in Tadoba, we did not have constant communication with other guides about where the deer and langurs were calling out to one another. Often, I felt like we were lost souls wandering in the jungle: alone and without any sense of purpose.We passed a rare car going in the opposite direction - and found what we wanted.There he was. He emerged … [Read more...]
Starry, Starry Night
"There's nothing in new Nagzira." "Why don't you go to Koka?" "It's about 35 km from here." "Anyway, Nagzira is closed on Thursdays." "You could go to Koka on Thursday." "Maybe you'll see a sloth bear." "Or bison."We didn't agree that there was nothing in new Nagzira. There were fewer animals; we did not deny that. Yet, New Nagzira is the most beautiful forest I have seen. A green forest, with sunlight filtering in through the leaves. Birds everywhere, weaving their way around all kinds of trees. That does not count as 'nothing' in my book.We went to Koka anyway. Koka, an extension of the Nagzira forest, was a jungle that did not send ripples of delight through me. Forest, then main road. Forest, then village. Forest, then farmland. That does not fill my heart with gladness, the way dense, green, endless forests do.We were out of Koka by 5:20, even though the safari officially ends … [Read more...]
Nagzira
Ten days away from the city. No internet. Phone connectivity for about an hour a day.Eleven safaris into the beautiful jungle.Three leopards.A leopard making a kill: whose side are you on? The leopard's or the fawn's?Wild dogs in the distance.A herd of bison. Flycatchers, thrushes, drongos, night-jars, parakeets, hoopoes.A ride in an open gypsy through the forest at night.Starry skies that I remember from my childhood.Nagzira. … [Read more...]
Idioms are my Cup of Tea!
That was the title of my last workshop at the British Library.We tried translating "It's raining cats and dogs" to Hindi and Marathi to giggles, shouts of laughter.We compared the literal meaning of "He kicked the bucket" with its figurative meaning.We performed the Herculean task of linking mythology with idioms, and then the children spilled the beans about the fact that most of their knowledge of Greek mythology came from Percy Jackson. When it came to Norse mythology and Biblical terms, their knowledge collapsed like a house of cards and they commented, "We have a long way to go and a lot to learn. We're just knee-high to a grasshopper!" A crossword puzzle proved to be their Achilles heel, but we continued to see the glass as half-full, as the children and I got on like a house on fire! … [Read more...]