When my first book, The Story-Catcher, was published, we started playing a game. We would go to every bookstore in every city we visited and try to find a copy of the book. It was impossible. And yet, it was exciting.
I even got a spreadsheet from my publishers, listing the stores in which my book would be available, and we went to those stores in the city, hunting.
I never found my book. Not even when it was on display like this:
When I went for the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in 2018, I knew my book Dragonflies, Jigsaws and Seashells would be in print. I had not yet received my sample copies, and I didn’t even know how the book looked. I hunted and hunted – and didn’t find it. Until Denise from Closetful of Books, the festival bookstore, showed them to me. It was a dream experience, to be honest – seeing my book for the first time at a store!
It was on display again on Singapore Night. And guess what? This time, I saw it!
Libraries are equally exciting. I saw The Story-Catcher at my school library and Today, I Am at Champaca.
And yesterday, we went to Phoenix Market City here in Pune. We haven’t been to a bookstore in ages because there are so few in the city. The Crosswords we have are in malls, and, as the security guards succinctly put it, for mall entries in Pune, “Second is must”, meaning we must have had the second dose of the Covid vaccine.
We had other things that we needed to do, but then, “Ooh, a Crossword!”
We went in. It’s one of those stores that actually has more books than toys and games.
We wended our way to the children’s section.
And there – the hOle books.
Of course, I didn’t find mine until it was pointed out to me. I saw Trouble with Magic, Chumki and the Elephants, Sandy to the Rescue, Lucky Girl, and so many more. But sitting there, amongst all the others, was The Clockwala’s Clues.
My book in a store. Always, always brings a rush of pleasure.
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