Varsha Varghese’s Dear Author, You Are Wrong is another book I had the chance to read as a manuscript a few years ago when it was submitted for the Scholastic Asian Book Award 2023. It won the award—and deservedly so! It is a deceptively simple read, one that addresses a range of social issues with quite a light touch.When eleven-year-old Avisha reads a book that makes her upset and angry, she hunts out the author’s email and writes to her. The author writes back, and this sets Avisha off on an unexpected investigation. As Avisha turns detective, she realises there are more questions than answers--uncomfortable questions, at that. Why must delivery people use a separate lift in her apartment complex? Do families have clear gender roles? Is a gender role wrong in itself?With Avisha, we discover how easily inconvenient questions are dusted under the carpet. Issues of caste and … [Read more...]
Dragonflies, Jigsaws and Seashells – The Story Behind the Story
Stories of rejection can be empowering if they have happy endings. I realised that when I shared the story behind the story of Sisters at New Dawn. I think, since writing is such a solitary affair anyway, knowing that you aren't amassing those rejections alone makes you feel warm, and a little less alone. So, here's the story of Dragonflies and how it came into being. It's the story of the rejections I accumulated before being shortlisted for the Scholastic Asian Book Award. The book is out now, available in India, and now is as good a time as any to write about it. Not naming any names here because that's not what this post is about.Publisher OneI sent my manuscript to the first publisher on my list in 2013, shortly after I had my first collection of short stories, The Story-Catcher, published. (Yes, you read that correctly. 2013. Seven years ago.) I did … [Read more...]
Special Events: AFCC 2018
Pop-up readingThe pop-up reading at the Asian Festival of Children's Content is a fun event organised by Denise Tan of Closetful of Books. Authors who are willing to brave the chaos of the book fair read out a short excerpt of one of their books. Though I had not registered for this in advance, I jumped at the opportunity to read from Dragonflies, Jigsaws, and Seashells. It was a brand-new experience for me - reading from a book of mine that I was seeing for the first time!I read an excerpt from "A Drawing Lesson", the story of a colour-blind girl who triumphs in art class.Celebrating Our StarsAn evening event, this was where all the shortlisted contestants were given certificates. I loved it!When I was shortlisted for SABA in 2016, the award ceremony was held on the day before the festival. This meant that right through the festival, I was one of those who … [Read more...]
Back from AFCC 2018
Four years ago, I had not heard of the Asian Festival of Children's Content. I did not know that Singapore's National Library had 16 floors of books. And then, I was shortlisted for the Scholastic Asian Book Award 2016, which was momentous enough for me to buy a festival pass and attend my first AFCC. I didn't win the award, but that was the beginning of a new journey - one that has led to my first Scholastic publication, Dragonflies, Jigsaws, and Seashells (originally Dragonflies, Jigsaws and a Rainbow).Then, in 2017, I answered a call for papers and was invited to speak at the AFCC. I spoke at a panel on writing about us, as Asians, something that I have started coming across much more frequently. At the AFCC 2017, I experienced the energy of the festival once more, as I went from session to session, making the most of an event that brought writers, illustrators, editors and … [Read more...]
Today I Am … A Writer!
The worst thing about being a writer is not writer's block. Not by a long stretch. The worst thing is all the waiting.Waiting for people to respond. Waiting for a book to be ready. Waiting for a book to hit the market. Every time I get an email - even a rejection - there is a little Varsha inside me that celebrates, simply because the waiting period is over.That's why this week has been particularly incredible. So incredible that I don't know what to write about first. So, not in any order of importance, here goes.I was shortlisted for the Scholastic Asian Book Award once more. In 2016, a collection of my short stories was shortlisted, and it will be published by Scholastic Asia later this year. This time, a novel titled Red Eyes is on the list!Mango Books published my book, The Prophecy of Rasphora, and you can now buy it easily at the Mango Books e-store or … [Read more...]
Back from AFCC 2016
So much excitement, so much fun!I attended the Asian Festival of Children's Content at Singapore for the first time, and the opening ceremony was the grand event at which the winner of the Scholastic Asian Book Award 2016 was announced. My unpublished work, Dragonflies, Jigsaws and a Rainbow, was one of the five shortlisted entries, and it was a wonderful feeling being there, waiting, anticipating ...The shortlisted entries were: Chasing Freedom by Tina Cho (South Korea) Codex: The Lost Treasure of the Indus by Aditi Krishnakumar (India) Dragonflies, Jigsaws and a Rainbow by Varsha Seshan (India) Island Girl by Ho Lee Ling, Stephanie (Singapore) The Budding Traveller by Golda Mowe (Malaysia)Aditi Krishnakumar won the grand prize of 10,000 SGD and a publishing contract with Scholastic Asia. Tina Cho was the first runner-up, and Ho Lee Ling, Stephanie was the … [Read more...]
Shortlisted for the Scholastic Asian Book Award!
My work, Dragonflies, Jigsaws and a Rainbow, has been shortlisted for the Scholastic Asian Book Award!The award winner will be revealed at the opening ceremony of the Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC) in May this year.The objectives of the award are:To recognise excellence in fiction in Asian stories for children To showcase the diversity of literary talent within Asian To encourage and inspire more Asian-themed books and storiesThe five titles were elected by a panel of experts in the field of children’s books. These works are in the running for the grand prize of $10,000 SGD, and the winning manuscript may be published by Scholastic Asia. Between 2011 and 2014, the world's largest children books publishing and distribution company had published six SABA winners’ and finalists’ works, with another three to be launched at the AFCC 2016. … [Read more...]