When I was asked to speak about Shakespeare at a gathering of school principals and English teachers, I was more than a little nervous.I borrowed and read books; I watched DVDs about his life; I pulled out notes from my Master's course on Shakespeare ... And I enjoyed myself thoroughly! Reading about Shakespeare again made me chuckle and wonder at the amount people have read and written about him. The interpretations people have come up with are amazing! From saying that he was (definitely) a moneylender to saying that he was a butcher's son who would make a speech while killing a calf, I read a range of stories, and that's why I decided to talk about just that - a few of the stories that make up the Shakespeare that we "know" today.After my talk, Mr Sridhar Balan spoke about the First Folio, a delightful session that drew the audience in and explored Shakespeare's journey … [Read more...]
The Puppy Who Wanted to Fly
I enjoyed reading this short, simple play by Caron Thomas, one of the girls at the Writers' Club at St. Mary's School. I've published it here for you to read (with her permission, of course).The Puppy Who Wanted to Fly Caron Thomas Characters Puppy Little bird Mommy Daddy Cat__Scene I A warm afternoon, under a tree. Stage right: A large field with many trees; stage left: a cottagePuppy: I wish I could fly just like the birds. (Goes around the tree and scratches his head) Yes! I have decided. I will go to the birds and ask them to teach me how to fly. (Looks at the tree) Hey, hey everyone please teach me to fly.Little bird: Ha, ha! How will you fly? You’re a dog, you don’t have beautiful wings like us! (Puppy runs away making a sad face)(Blackout) __Scene II A warm afternoon in a cottage. Stage right: a dining table; stage left: the living … [Read more...]
Reading Challenge at MIT Gurukul
Going back to a school at which I was once a teacher was a whole new experience for me! Despite all the reasons I quit, I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I walked around the school. This time, I was not there an employee, but as an independent trainer from the British Council. Going to the buildings where I taught English and ToK, visiting the library and the refectory, and, most importantly, meeting all the lovely people I worked with ... What a grand day!MIT Gurukul has taken on the Reading Challenge, and I worked with the PYP section today, reading out stories and teaching the children about book reviews. With Grade 1, I did a book I had not read before - There's a Shark in the Bath! It's a delightful story, one of those that is enjoyed differently by each reader. What does young Dulcie do when she sees a shark in her bath? I chuckled as I read … [Read more...]
Flickering Flames at the Pune International Literary Festival
The authors of Flickering Flames, an anthology of short stories and poems, were part of the Pune International Literary Festival (PILF) 2016! The young girls, all in the age-group 11-13, got the opportunity to read excerpts from their work at an event that welcomed a range of eminent speakers and writers.Of the thirteen members of the Writers' Club at St. Mary's, ten spoke at PILF 2016. One girl spoke of how Flickering Flames was born, after which each of the girls read a little of what they had written. They spoke of their journey with me, writing, rewriting and editing. The audience asked questions, engaging in a lively discussion with the young writers. This was just a beginning for them; I hope to see them with more books to their credit in the years to come! … [Read more...]
Weekend Workshops at Bengaluru
The joy of travelling is when I can mix leisure with work. Last weekend was a long weekend, and in Karnataka, it was longer still because of Varralakshmi Poojai. Many were apparently traveeling, yet, several turned up for both workshops I conducted.At Atta Galatta, Koramangala, I conducted a creative writing workshop for the age-group 9-13. It was lovely, exploring elements of a story, techniques and style. We did lots of activities and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly!At The Kids Collective, Jayanagar, I conducted a reading-cum-storytelling workshop with children aged 7-10. We explored Bholu at the Level Crossing, Bholu at the School Excursion and many others. One child told me that her favourite part of the whole workshop was the story Bholu at the School Excursion; I was thrilled! … [Read more...]
Creative Writing at Vidya Valley School
In the pouring rain, we made our way across the city to a school far, far away. It was beautiful. Greenery all around us, streams in the most unexpected places - this was not a part of the city I knew. I'd heard about Vidya Valley, and met a few students from the school at other workshops. This time, though, I was visiting the school to conduct three sessions with the sixth standard as part of the build-up to the school's very own lit fest.Teaching creative writing to a whole class is always challenging. In a class of forty, if I'm lucky, eight enjoy writing. The rest couldn't care less. When all forty are required to sit together in a classroom and write ... I didn't know what to expect. Yet, in a school with its own literature fest, I was hopeful.The whole day was simply delightful! We talked about all kinds of books, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out about … [Read more...]
Creative Writing Workshop in Bengaluru
Last year, I conducted a reading workshop at Atta Galatta, and I knew I had to go back there and do something else! The place is perfect, the ambiance charming and the children I met were lovely.So now it's time to do something else, something new! Conducting the Writers' Club at St. Mary's School has shown me how much I enjoy working with children who enjoy writing. It's full of imagination, whacky ideas and magic!Creative Writing Workshop for Children Age-group: 9-13 Venue: Atta Galatta, Bengaluru Dates: 13th and 14th August, 2016 Time: 11 am to 1 pm Fees: Rs. 1,000 per participant Contact me for more details or to register! … [Read more...]
Reading Challenge at MGM Clover Dale
The Imagination Box, which I wrote about yesterday, as well as the books I'll be writing about in the days ahead, were part of the Reading Challenge organised by the British Library. As always, I enjoyed myself thoroughly conducting a series of workshops at MGM Clover Dale High School in Aurangabad. The theme for their Reading Challenge was "Record Breakers", and there were record breakers amongst them! A pair of twins read 16 books in the last three weeks because they enjoyed the challenge so much!The first workshop, for younger children, was a lovely storytelling session. I introduced them to Julia Donaldson's The Paper Dolls. We play-acted, read the story, and then even made the paper dolls as instructed at the end of the book!The second session was with eight-year-olds who found that they were too old to read the collection for young readers. They chose to read books from the … [Read more...]
Author Visit
Yesterday, the Writers' Club at St. Mary's School welcomed Leela Gour Broome, author of Flute in the Forest and Red Kite Adventure. Mrs Broome introduced her two books and spoke to the children about the process of writing them."I'm not a fan of fantasy," she said when the children asked her what she reads. "I think we need more realistic Indian fiction that children can read!"Her own books are inspired by experiences she's had through her close interaction with nature, experiences that help her stories ring true. "Even when you imagine, there's a limit, right? For instance, you could write about a pony that is colourful and magical … Maybe the pony can fly. But would you be able to convince your readers that the pony can drive a car? Remember that the reader must be able to imagine with you, so don't let your imagination get away with you!"The … [Read more...]
Workshop on Communicative English
The six-hour journey from Pune to Beed was lovely. I love travelling in the monsoon through pouring rain, looking at all the shades of green passing by. I love the hills in the rain. They're so full of life, so different from the parched summer browns!My workshop last weekend was with Gurukul English School in Beed. Like so many other schools, it is an English medium school that is attended by children from non English-speaking families. It's a huge challenge for the teachers, one that we can barely begin to tackle. Walk through the corridors and you'll hear a mix of Marathi and Hindi, with just about a word of English thrown in.And so, my workshop was on Communicative English with Functional Grammar. Led by an enthusiastic vice principal, the teachers came forward to participate, interact and share. They laughed as they donned roles of reporters and sportspeople. … [Read more...]