The year 2020 was such a boost to me as a writer! With a poem published by OUP, a picture book, a chapter book, a middle-grade book and a collection of short stories, how could 2021 even hope to compete?Even so, with two publications, an award shortlist, a book going into reprint and tons of reviews, 2021 was quite lovely too! How Big Is a Whale Shark? I wrote my first nonfiction picture book! It wasn't easy, but I enjoyed the process tremendously. Best of all, though, are the stunning illustrations. Mandar Mhaskar made How Big Is a Whale Shark? what it is with a beautiful colour palette and humorous illustrations. I love the artwork!Of course, the best part about being published on StoryWeaver is the number of languages into which the book gets translated. It's already available in four languages and will soon (hopefully) be out in … [Read more...]
What I’ve Been Reading on StoryWeaver
Every so often, I write about books I've read on StoryWeaver that have left an impression on me in one way or another. Free books are precious! And over 30,000 free books? Priceless! Here are a few I read and loved recently.In the past, most of the books I've read have been Level 1 and Level 2 books, but somehow, in the last few months, I've been drawn to slightly longer books. Though I've divided them into broad themes, each story is more than just the theme I've chosen for it. FriendshipFriendship takes various forms, and, in some ways, perhaps most of the books on my list this time are about friendship. Goplu's Train Ride written by Timira Gupta and illustrated by Parmita Mukherjee explores that glorious moment of friendship that is full of possibility and yet, complete in itself. I love it. Can you make a friend through the bars of a local train? … [Read more...]
I Wish, My Street, Timmi in Tangles
January 2021 has already been so full of lovely things! I launched the second edition of my online reading programme, and I'm delighted that it came into being because parents of participants in my current programme wrote and asked if I would consider continuing the sessions.It was also a month when I received so many reader reviews of my books - take a look! What I've been reading In the meantime, of course, I've been reading. When am I not reading?But I haven't written much about what I've been reading because I was busy blogging about my best reads from last year. January is a month when I step back and look at the year that went by. I like to take time out to think about all the wonderful stories I read in the previous year and all the experiences I had with my writing, my workshops and my my dance. So, here's a post … [Read more...]
What to Read on StoryWeaver
At this moment, StoryWeaver has 22,487 stories. 22,487. Let's do some maths. If I read a story a day every day of my life, I will need over 61 years to read all those stories. That's not even taking into account the fact that there will be many, many more stories by then. So, here's a list to start on that journey. This is a set of books I read recently and loved. And if you're anything like me, you'll read more than a story a day, so maybe you won't need 61 years to catch up with them all.The Manasa SeriesWho doesn't love a book series? There are three books about Manasa, and I wish there were more! In Manasa Finds a Rainbow, Manasa boasts to her friend Titus that she has feathers of every colour. When Titus says that he will come over to see them, Manasa panics! She must find enough feathers to show Titus a proper prized collection!There are so many stories about curly hair … [Read more...]
A Theme-Based Reading Programme
A couple of months ago, I wrote a blog post for StoryWeaver about a training programme I have been conducting for the last three years for librarians in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, and the ways in which I use StoryWeaver and Pratham Books for the reading programme they implement in schools. I have grown so much through the workshops I purportedly conduct! Working with a range of librarians with limited resources has been an eye-opening experience for me, an experience that I treasure. Each year, I tweak the programme slightly, trying to make it more accessible to every level of learner and easier to implement.This year, I continued with a theme-based approach, but I chose themes that were clearly linked with the needs of reluctant readers. How delighted I was when I learned about how the librarians took the ideas to their schools!Linking the reading theme with the overall … [Read more...]
Using Pratham Books and StoryWeaver in School Libraries
This post first appeared on the StoryWeaver blog on 9 October 2019.As a British Council trainer, I’ve conducted numerous reading workshops and facilitated many interactive sessions for theme-based reading challenges. I’ve worked in schools as well as at the British Library itself, interacting with a range of children, from those who devour books to those who yawn at the sight of a library.So, when Anubhooti Learning Solutions (then ‘Experiential Learning Solutions’) asked me whether I would chalk out a reading programme to be administered by librarians at municipal schools in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, I was interested. The project was a CSR initiative by D-Mart and the crux of the idea was to support a few schools through a library programme.Excited, I drafted a detailed outline of what we could do. I devised a theme-based approach with detailed assessment criteria, for that … [Read more...]
Using StoryWeaver in Class
I've been resisting writing this post for ever so long because it sounds like some sort of advertising campaign. I promise it's not. It's just that I've used StoryWeaver so many times during workshops that I really wanted to share how easy it is to bring such wonderful resources into the classroom.Why StoryWeaver?The first answer - it's wonderful material that is free for use. Is that two answers already?Considering the amount of material teachers require for class, free resources are a boon. We need them. We need to be able to share stories and ideas freely and easily.Two, I can download and use resources from StoryWeaver offline. Many workshops I conduct are in places where the internet is patchy, to say the least. The last workshop I conducted, for instance, was at a school in Bhusawal. Earlier that day, when I was trying to check my email, I took 20 minutes to open … [Read more...]
Reading, Writing, Dancing
Two weeks ago, I asked the children at my Writers' Club whether they would like to make readers laugh or cry. Three girls said they wanted to make readers laugh. 12 said they wanted to make readers cry. When a few said they would like to do both, those who had already raised their hands dithered.Finally, though, most agreed that making readers cry was more important. This was both surprising and not.Funny books that sparkle with humour are wonderful. Yet, I do know that the books that stay with me are books that make me cry. The best ones do both. I then asked the children what makes them cry in books.These were difficult conversations, by the way, and I was warmed by how much the girls opened up. A 12-year-old is not always comfortable talking about crying in front of a 9-year-old. The fact that they did - and passionately - was lovely.They spoke of happy moments … [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...]
A Wonderful Month
Every so often, I think about doing a monthly round-up of workshops I've conducted and books I've read. And then I think, maybe next month. But the month that went by was just so full of wonderful things that I want very much to share everything that happened and everything that's coming up!Last month, I was invited to a teachers' conference in Bengaluru. It was one of the most heart-warming events I conducted. I shared a few pictures already, but what made it special was how involved the teachers were. I conducted two sessions - one on reading and one on writing, and both were lovely!Then came the sessions I look forward to each month - my workshops at Just Books Baner. During the last session, we worked on magical stories, and played with lovely new ideas. Then came workshops with teachers at Universal High Malad, Sanjay Ghodawat International School (Kolhapur), … [Read more...]