Yesterday, I went to my old school to meet my librarian and give her a copy of The Story-Catcher. She still had the book in her hand about half an hour later when children from class III were lining up to go into the library.One excited girl saw the book and exclaimed, "That's The Story-Catcher, isn't it?"Both the librarian and I were surprised. "Yes...""I have the same book at home!" said the girl."Wow! Where did you get it from?" I asked. I've found just one copy in a bookshop so far, and was curious about where this child I did not know had found it."Santa gave it to me."I did not want to ruin her Santa-romance by asking her who her parents were, but thank you, Santa, whoever you are. It would also be nice if you could get her to read the book, though! … [Read more...]
Toto Funds the Arts
Long-listed (but not short-listed) three years in a row. Surely, that's a record of sorts!For The Story-Catcher (now published) and Vanilla: http://totofundsthearts.blogspot.com/2011/01/toto-awards-2011.html For Ridhima and Sacrifice: http://totofundsthearts.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.htmlFor Laying an Old Ghost to Rest and Ethics: http://totofundsthearts.blogspot.com/2012/12/long-lists-for-toto-awards-2013.html … [Read more...]
Pirated Books
I don't like pirated books. I have repeatedly been very vocal and passionate about my criticism - I don't like the quality of paper, I don't like the quality of ink, I don't like how cheaply reproduced it looks. All this, from the point of view of the reader. From the point of view of a potential writer, right through college, I actively discouraged people from buying pirated books. An author gets paid so little anyway - a budding writer gets about ten rupees per book! Is it even fair that people photocopy the book, sell it cheap, and pay the author nothing? I've spoken extensively on the subject.A few years ago, though, when writing was really becoming more and more my chosen profession, I was walking past a pavement book-store that was proudly displaying its wide range of pirated books. I was walking with a friend, also a writer."What would you feel if you saw your book here?" I … [Read more...]
My Name is Rose
I could say that Smarties Gold Medal winning author Sally Grindley's book is about a Romanian gypsy being integrated into a dysfunctional recomposed English family. Orphaned during a road accident, she has to find her way into the affections of a money-hungry man, an attention-seeking girl and a guilt-ridden woman. She has to surmount the obstacles of race and language, understanding that she is sometimes discriminated against only because she is a dirty gypsy. She has to construct her own identity, sometimes in deliberate negation of the English family around her.All of that would be true. And then, we could deal with the authenticity of the depiction of the Romanian girl, the life of a gypsy (as depicted in literature) and other stereotypes. Everyone would have an opinion and become excited about voicing it.Yet, maybe My Name is Rose is about non of this. Maybe it is, very … [Read more...]