Do you see all the red marks? That's what I attended at the Lit Bug Fest yesterday!The first event of the day was a play written by a young girl and performed by Pushkar Rangmanch. A sweet story, performed with enthusiasm!A few months ago, I invited Leela Gour Broome to address the Writers' Club at St. Mary's. Yesterday, I watched how she told a story to children of varied ages. I also watched Kakoli Bagchi tell a story for the first time. With lovely little puppets, they brought Mrs Broome's story Red Kite Adventure to life! After that, she told the story of a shiny red ball that travels the globe ... I enjoyed the story as much as the children did!My event was next on the agenda, and I loved it! I did have a wide range of children there, and I'm afraid the older children weren't as involved as the younger ones, but all in all, it was such … [Read more...]
Reading Camp
A new set of children and a new set of activities ...I was invited to conduct a reading camp for children in a society, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly! From word search puzzles to skits and storytelling, we packed as much as we could into eight hours. As always, the children were an enthusiastic bunch, willing to do everything together, without once complaining that they were bored or that reading was dull. … [Read more...]
The Lit Bug Fest
How many of us are familiar with Bholu the guard-elephant, mascot of the Indian Railways? Join me on an exploration of a series of railway adventures that will take us on thrilling train journeys all over India. Every story is accompanied by a unique activity – ranging from jigsaw puzzles and colouring books for young children, to building your own steam locomotive for older children. Listen to a story at the Lit Bug Fest, and discover the wonder of the railways!" slug="The-Lit-Bug-Fest-29-Apr-2017" order_by="sortorder" order_direction="ASC" returns="included" maximum_entity_count="500"]The Lit Bug Fest is just around the corner, and I'm delighted to be part of it. With my series of railway adventures, I hope to have and exciting session with children of all ages. … [Read more...]
The month ahead
There's so much around the corner!This month, apart from all the regular workshops, I'm going to be part of The Lit Bug Fest!The Lit Bug Fest is a children's literary fest to be held on the 29th of April at Persistent Systems, Bhageerath, Senapati Bapat Road. It is an all-day event, and I'm looking forward to it!In May, I have wonderful things in store for me too. I'm going to be speaking at the Asian Festival of Children's Content, Singapore.The first one on the list is Pictionary by another name. I can't quite believe that I'm going to Singapore to officially play Pictionary. The second is a panel discussion, which I'm looking forward to ... We're going to be talking about diversity and inclusiveness, and the challenges we face while writing in Asia - in English or in other languages.I'm also going to be doing an official international launch for the first … [Read more...]
Book Launch at Atta Galatta
Launching my railway adventures for children in a city in which I know very few children was bound to be a challenge, but it was such fun!The event began with a college friend who came to show her support - and she made my day. I hadn't met her for a decade, making her presence even more special.As children started trickling in, we began to explore the series of railway advenures through the audio books and activity kits. The joy of each of the railway books is that it is sold both as a book and as part of a kit, making for wonderful activities with children at events like this!And of course, for any writer, people who want to buy your book and get it signed just warm your heart! … [Read more...]
Reading Workshop and Book Launch in Bengaluru
I have two events coming up in Bengaluru this week - a book launch tomorrow, and a reading workshop on Saturday. I hope to see you there! Book Launch at Atta Galatta, Koramangala, Bengaluru Date: 9th March 2017 Time: 5:30 pm Open to all! Reading Workshop at Kids Collective, Jayanagar, Bengaluru Date: 11th March 2017 Time: 11 am to 1 pm Age-group: 8-12 Workshop fee: Rs 500 per child … [Read more...]
Writing Workshops at Gurukul School
The British Library invited me to conduct writing workshops for the fourth and fifth standard students of Gurukul School, and what fun it was!A student of mine introduced me to a lovely activity that I improvised for the fourth standard. I handed out sheets of paper to groups of children, and asked them to write six characters.Here's what they wrote:I find the denture, toothbrush and fork the most interesting characters of all!Then, I asked them to write six settings.I like Crystaly! I wonder where it is.Then, I asked them to write actions. Here's what we got:Each child comes forward and rolls the die three times. The die rolls determine the character, setting and action. All that remains is to write the story. It was delightful! … [Read more...]
Workshops at Symbiosis International School
I love the concept of the language week that is held at Symbiosis International School. The students organised a language quiz; they explored the cultures associated with different languages; they had competitions ... And I was invited my to conduct creative writing workshops for grade VIII. In November last year, I conducted reading workshops with grade VII and thoroughly enjoyed myself, so I was sure these would be fun too!As I was going to be there anyway, I was also asked to judge an event, and it was wonderful! Students of the seventh grade dressed up as characters from books and made speeches or enacted scenes. It was such fun! From the moment each character walked into the room, my brain began to whir. Who could this be? What book is s/he from? From the prince and the pauper to Frankenstein, Ebenezer Scrooge, Elizabeth Bennett and Mark Antony, I had a lovely morning, immersed … [Read more...]
AFCC 2017
Last year, I attended the Asian Festival of Children's Content for the first time because I was shortlisted for the Scholastic Asian Book Award. This year, I'll be attending it again--as a speaker!I'm speaking as part of a panel discussion titled "Writing about Us". Here's a little about where the whole thing came from.At workshops I conduct, I find that participants rarely write about Indian children, especially when they write fantasy. I meet Harry, Lucy (sometimes even pronounced Lucky because the name isn’t real to the children) and Mary, and a few made-up names too, but almost no Indian ones. When the children write Indian tales, I find, repeatedly, a traditional storytelling pattern with a clear moral.I originally believed that this came from what the children read. They talk about Percy Jackson, Harry Potter and Cassandra Clare, and when I ask what Indian … [Read more...]
The Reading Challenge is Back!
The Reading Challenge is back at the British Library, Pune, and this time, the theme is 'The Big Friendly Read'! Celebrating 100 years of Roald Dahl, we have a lovely collection of books as usual. Many feature Dahl characters that I fell in love with as a child, and of course, many others with the wonderful illustrations of Sir Quentin Blake. There are all kinds of stories, though, so even if you've read everything Dahl ever wrote, there will be something for you to read too!For those who have never taken part in the Reading Challenge, it is an exciting programme conducted every year at the British Library, Pune. If you are anywhere between 5 and 13 years old, you can register. There are two sets of books - junior books and senior books - and all you need to do is finish reading six books in six weeks. If you do, you will get a certificate, maybe even a medal!I will … [Read more...]