I've received an overwhelming number of queries this time around, and I'm not surprised. Summer holidays! Registrations are now open for two reading programmes beginning on the 1st of June.Do note that with lockdowns in several places, book deliveries are experiencing delays. I will try to get the books to you in time for the programme, but the sooner you register, the easier it will be for me. Online Reading Programme (Ages 7 to 8) We're on the fourth edition of this programme, and the four books we will read this time are The Monster Hunters by Parinita Shetty, Bookasura by Arundhati Venkatesh, Esio Trot by Roald Dahl and At Least a Fish (Zain & Ana Book 1) by Anushka Ravishankar. On popular demand, I have also launched a weekend batch of the same online reading programme! Details Dates: 1st June to 9th July 2021Dates for the weekend … [Read more...]
Writing about Cyber Crime
What a fun session we had with digital forensic investigator Shweta A. Chawla yesterday! The children had all kinds of questions, and all kinds of stories. Nearly every child had a story of a parent or relative receiving a call and asking for an OTP or bank details. It just shows you how close cyber crime is to us!One child said, "We should keep changing our passwords, but it's difficult to remember them. So I write them in an Excel sheet." Before Shweta could respond, he said, "The Excel sheet is password protected."And I found myself thinking, Do I even know how to create a password-protected Excel sheet?We spoke of how stories no longer need masked robbers going into banks with guns, and the fact that you are much more likely to encounter a hacker online than a smuggler. Sure, we love our Enid Blyton stories of smuggling and crime, but perhaps stories can reflect something … [Read more...]
Writing about Cyber Crime
During my writing programme last year, I met many children who wanted to write detective stories. What would a detective story involve? How did investigations really happen?This got me thinking.What could I do that would be new and unusual? I've never solved a crime. I have no inside knowledge. And if children (and I!) don't want to write about smugglers and private islands and the like, what detective stories can we write?My answer was cyber crime. And that led to the very first guest session of my creative writing programme. About the Facilitator Shweta A. Chawla is an independent digital forensic investigator with over 15 years of experience in digital forensic and cyber investigations. She is the founder and chief investigator at SC Cyber Solutions, and has acted as consultant to various police departments in investigations into cyber crimes. Shweta is … [Read more...]
Workshops During a Pandemic
Last week, I started reading Maya in a Mess with my book club for seven and eight-year-olds. As part of the discussion, I asked them, "Have you ever been a monitor in class? How do you feel?""I feel like a king!" said one child."I love it," said another. "You don't have to just stand in line with the others. You can actually do things.""It feels good," said a third. "You feel responsible."One avid reader in the batch isn't seven yet, but she's at par with the others. When it was her turn, she said, "I haven't ever been a monitor.""Do you want to be a monitor?" I asked.There was a minuscule pause."I don't know. I've never been to proper school. When I was in kindergarten, we didn't have monitors. Last year, it was all online. So I don't know what it would be like to be a monitor."My heart broke just a tiny bit. I've never been to proper school.Sigh. … [Read more...]