A children’s book writer based in Pune, India, Varsha Seshan is no stranger to the Asian literary scene having published four picture books, two chapter books, three middle-grade books, and two collections of short stories. Her work, Red Eyes, was a finalist at the 2018 Scholastic Asian Book Awards.
Join the Scholastic Asia Virtual Book Launch on May 28, 2022 (11:30 am to 12:30 pm IST) as Varsha gives audiences an insight into Red Eyes.
At this one-hour workshop, learn about zines, explore how we select what to illustrate and then move on to the planning and execution of an illustration.
As this is a guest session at my writing programme, participants who are part of my current batches will be part of it at no additional cost. However, this session is also open to non-participants on payment of a fee.
During the one-hour interaction, Daphne Lee, consulting editor at Scholastic Asia, will tell us what it means to be an editor. How is a book made? How does editing work? As this event is an opportunity to get answers to your questions about publishing, rather than a workshop, come prepared with whatever you would like to ask!
As this is a guest session at my writing programme, participants who are part of my current batches may join at no additional cost. However, the event is also open to non-participants on payment of a fee.
REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAMME. I conduct writing programmes only twice a year - from April to June, and from October to December, so registrations will reopen in September 2022.
This 12-week course is for ages nine to 11. We will put together an e-magazine, for which we will explore poems and stories, working on feedback and the process of editing and rewriting. The fee includes 12 online interactions, up to three guest sessions and access to a private forum, where participants share their work.
Do note that there are only six seats per batch!
REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAMME. I conduct writing programmes only twice a year - from April to June, and from October to December, so I will reopen registrations in September 2022.
This 12-week course is for ages 12 to 14. We will create an e-zine together, and to do this, we will explore purpose, form and structure. The fee includes 12 online interactions, up to three guest sessions and access to a private forum, where participants share their work and receive detailed feedback.
Do note that there are only six seats per batch!
Join author Varsha Seshan and creative designer Deepa Umesh for a writing and illustration workshop. Explore plot, structure and technique to write a fantasy story of your own, and then learn how to create fantastical backgrounds, creatures and characters.
REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS PROGRAMME.
Unlike at my book club for ages seven and eight, however, we devote less class time to reading aloud and more to activities and writing. Do note that this means that even though we read excerpts from three books in class, most of the reading happens independently!
This programme comprises 12 online interactions (45 minutes each). There are only nine seats per batch.
In August and September, the books we will be reading are Paati vs UNCLE (Meera Ganapathi), Frindle (Andrew Clements) and Dungeon Tales II (Venita Coelho).
REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS EDITION OF MY BOOK CLUB. The next one will begin in October 2022, and I will open for registrations in the first week of September. Watch this space for updates!
During each edition of my book club, we have 12 online interactions (45 minutes each), during which we read excerpts from four books. Based on what we read, we build links with other activities, including listening, performing, writing and critical thinking. Do note that classes are held on Zoom and that there are only nine seats per batch!
In August and September 2022, we will be reading Petu Pumpkin Tiffin Thief (Arundhati Venkatesh), The Great River Magic (Nandini Nayar), Ivy and Bean (Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall) and Help, My Aai Wants to Eat Me! (Bijal Vachharajani).
Parents (and children) have dozens of questions about publishing. Is self-publishing a viable option? What about KDP? How does the process work? What are some things we should keep in mind before venturing into publishing children's work?
Come for this one-hour workshop prepared with all your questions about publishing, and Andaleeb will try to answer them. As the process of publishing involves both adults and children, parents/caregivers are encouraged to attend along with their children.
As this is a guest session at my writing programme, participants who are part of my current batches will be part of it at no additional cost. However, this session is also open to non-participants on payment of a fee.
REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS EDITION OF MY BOOK CLUB.
The next one will begin in December 2022, and I will open for registrations in the first week of November.
During each edition of my book club, we have 12 online interactions (45 minutes each), during which we read excerpts from four books. Based on what we read, we build links with other activities, including listening, performing, writing and critical thinking. Do note that classes are held on Zoom and that there are only nine seats per batch!
In October and November 2022, we will be reading The Shy Supergirl (Shabnam Minwalla), A Cello on the Wall (Adèle Tariel, translated by Nakashi Chowdhry), Yikes! Bikes! (Abby Klein) and The Adventures of Mooli and the Bully on Wheels (Asha Nehemiah).
We're coming to the end of our drama module at my creative writing programme, so it's time for a drama workshop! This time, I have invited Neha Singh, a children's author, theatre practitioner, storyteller and women's rights activist. This session promises to be dramatic and fun, so come prepared with everyday props like a dupatta, hat, sunglasses, or anything else that catches your fancy!
As this is a guest session at my writing programme, participants who are part of my current batches will be part of it at no additional cost. However, this session is also open to non-participants on payment of a fee of ₹400.
REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS PROGRAMME. The next one will begin in December 2022, and I will open for registrations in the first week of November.
'Read, Write, Explore' is a reading and writing programme for ages nine and ten, which combines the concept of a book club with an introduction to creative writing. During the 12 online interactions, we read excerpts from three books and do activities that link reading to writing, vocabulary and life skills. Every two weeks, one class is devoted to creative writing.
In October and November 2022, we will be reading The Paradise Flycatcher (Deepak Dalal), I Survived the California Wildfires, 2018 (Lauren Tarshis) and Dragonflies, Jigsaws and Seashells (Varsha Seshan).
Sometimes, when we read out literature we love, it doesn't sound as good as it does in our heads. Why is that? What kinds of stories lend themselves to performance? During this session, storyteller Rohini Vij will address these questions while also working with storytelling as a public speaking tool. Learn to overcoming inhibitions as you act out stories. Explore voice acting and breathing techniques, while working on confidence building and ways to manage stage anxiety. Above all, have fun with stories!
As this is a guest session at my writing programme, participants who are part of my current batches will be part of it at no additional cost. However, this session is also open to non-participants on payment of a fee of ₹400.
REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAMME. I conduct writing programmes only twice a year - from April to June, and from October to December, so I will reopen registrations in March 2023.
This 12-week course is for ages nine to 11. We will put together an e-magazine, for which we will explore drama and fiction, working on feedback and the process of editing and rewriting. The fee includes 12 online interactions, up to three guest sessions and access to a private forum, where participants share their work.
Do note that there are only six seats per batch!
THIS CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAMME IS SOLD OUT. Keep an eye out for the next one! I conduct writing programmes only twice a year - from April to June, and from October to December, so I will reopen registrations in March 2023.
This 12-week course is for ages 12 to 14. We will put together an e-zine, for which we will explore poems and stories, working on feedback and the process of editing and rewriting. The fee includes 12 online interactions, up to three guest sessions, and access to a private forum, where participants share their work.
Do note that there are only six seats per batch!
REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS PROGRAMME.
The next one will begin in February 2023, and I will open for registrations in the first week of January.
'Read, Write, Explore' is an ongoing programme for ages nine and ten, which combines the concept of a book club with an introduction to creative writing. During the 12 online interactions, we read excerpts from three books and do activities that link reading to writing, vocabulary and life skills. Every two weeks, one class is devoted to creative writing.
During the December 2022-January 2023 edition, we will be reading Misfit Madhu (Divya Anand), Crenshaw (Katherine Applegate) and an anthology, Flipped - Mystery Stories and Sci-Fi Stories.
Do note that classes are held on Zoom and that there are only nine seats per batch!
REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS READING PROGRAMME. The next one will begin in April 2023, and I will open for registrations in the first week of March.
'Read, Write, Explore' is an ongoing programme for ages nine and ten, which combines the concept of a book club with an introduction to creative writing. During the 12 online interactions, we read excerpts from three books and do activities that link reading to writing, vocabulary and life skills. Every two weeks, one class is devoted to creative writing.
In February and March 2023, we will be reading Talon the Falcon (Deepak Dalal), The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips (Michael Morpurgo) and Tara and the Friendship Theorem (Chitra Soundar).
Do note that classes are held on Zoom and that there are only nine seats per batch!
Can poets collaborate? How? Why? Find out how collaboration can kickstart creativity in ways that writing alone sometimes cannot, through a set of exercises and examples by serial-collaborator, Sampurna Chattarji.
As this is a guest session at my online creative writing programme, it is free for my current participants. However, it is also open to non-participants on payment of a fee.
Brought to you by THE STORY STATION, this Pune-based literature festival celebrates creativity and innovation. The theme for Lit Bug 2023 is the environment, and I am going to be there with my book, The Best Idea of All. A story about three girls who find an innovative way to celebrate Holi during the worst drought in decades, it fits perfectly with the theme of the year. We'll talk about ideas and water scarcity before we make natural colours of our own.
Nonfiction is all around us, at home and at school. Although we may think of it as boring, let's explore why it is anything but! Even a seemingly boring topic can become exciting, as you will discover through a few short, snappy writing exercises with award-winning author Vaishali Shroff.
As this is a guest session at my online creative writing programme, it is free for my current participants. However, it is also open to non-participants on payment of a fee.
Join 'Read, Write, Explore', an online programme that combines the concept of a book club with an introduction to creative writing. During the 12 online interactions, we read excerpts from three books and do activities of all kinds. Every two weeks, one class is devoted to creative writing.
In summer 2023, we will be reading Pinkoo Shergill: Pastry Chef (Vibha Batra), A Boy Called Bat (Elana K. Arnold) and Dungeon Tales (Venita Coelho).
Do note that classes are held on Zoom and there are only nine seats per batch!
Join my book club for ages seven and eight!
During each edition of my book club, we have 12 online interactions (45 minutes each), during which we read excerpts from four books. Based on what we read, we build links with other activities, including listening, performing, writing and critical thinking. Do note that classes are held on Zoom and that there are only nine seats per batch!
In summer 2023, we will be reading Petu Pumpkin: Cheater Peter (Arundhati Venkatesh), The Lizard of Oz and Other Stories (Khyrunnisa A.), Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (Chris Riddell) and The Adventures of Tootsie Lama (Stuti Agarwal).
Bookaroo is going to Srinagar, and I'm going to be part of it!
I will be doing two sessions there - one on The Prophecy of Rasphora and the other on Sisters at New Dawn.
If you're in Srinagar, come say hello. Lit fests are always fun!
Can the sea be purple? Can the sky be pink? Can you paint a landscape with one colour? Can you paint an egg without using the colour white, without leaving any part of the page unpainted?
Let's find out at an art workshop with children's book illustrator and art educator Kripa.
Learn sea painting techniques.
Learn to use your brush - dab, sweep, dribble, stroke.
Learn to mix media - overlapping, layering and texturing.
And finally, let's discover together that nothing in art is a lie!
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT! The next edition of this writing programme will be held from October to December 2023. Keep an eye on my Workshop Calendar to stay updated!
During the April to June 2023 edition, we will put together an e-magazine, for which we will explore poetry, nonfiction and fiction. The fee includes 12 online interactions, up to three guest sessions and access to a private forum, where participants share their work.
Do note that classes are held on Zoom and that there are only six seats per batch!
