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Varsha Seshan

My Year in Workshops: 2023

January 13, 2024 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Writing sessions from the car. Book club sessions from a misal shop on the highway. Guest sessions in my dance class hall. 2023 was a year when I seemed to be juggling rather a lot, especially as my writing programmes were bursting at the seams, plus I started an in-person writers’ club at St. Mary’s […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: book club, creative writing, creative writing with children, online creative writing programme, online reading programme, online workshops for children, Writers' Club

The Writers’ Club 2019-20

February 27, 2020 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I can’t quite believe it’s been five years with the Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s School. I remember we had a maths teacher in class V who had been teaching there for FOUR YEARS. And I thought that it was pretty much forever. I’m there now. My first batch was created for the sesquicentennial celebrations, […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: creative writing, St. Mary's School, Writers' Club

Dear Fictional Character

December 3, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Yesterday, to round off our letter-writing activity, we wrote two more letters. One began with ‘Dear Reader’, and this is an activity I’ve done more times than I can count. I tweaked it slightly this time because of the idea of posting their letters to them. Instead of telling them that what they wrote would […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: creative writing, St. Mary's School, The Dictionary, The Duronto Adventure, The Story-Catcher, Writers' Club, writing activities

Letter-Writing at the Writers’ Club

November 27, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I’ve been waiting to do this activity ever since I thought of it, and it was well worth the wait — particularly because two children said this was the best Writers’ Club session ever! Receiving a letter is lovely. I enjoy every part of it – the anticipation, seeing something in the postbox, seeing that […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: creative writing, grammar, Ratna Sagar, skill-building, St. Mary's School, Teacher training, Writers' Club, writing activities

Characters at the Writers’ Club

November 18, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Excitement is so contagious! The Writers’ Club was full of energy today because of two activities we did based on the idea of how characters come alive to readers. A week ago, I asked the girls to think of a character they would like to present to the rest of the club. We had a […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: activities, character, creative writing, St. Mary's School, Writers' Club, writing activities

Catching Up: Workshops

September 20, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

The more workshops I conduct, the more I realise how much I learn from them and enjoy them. The last workshop post was about a guest at the Writers’ Club, but a lot has happened since then. Writers’ Club At the Writers’ Club, I am constantly struck by the role experience plays in the way […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: Books Meridian, creative writing, grammar, Omkar CBSE, St. Mary's School, Villa Theresa, Writers' Club

A Guest at the Writers’ Club

August 29, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I love inviting people to talk to my Writers’ Club – I think a new person brings a new kind of energy. With this being my fifth year with the Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s, I’ve started planning my sessions better, and involving previous batches each time we do something new and different. Yesterday, I […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: creative writing, limericks, St. Mary's School, Writers' Club

The Writers’ Club 2018-19

March 1, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Another year at the Writers’ Club has come to an end, and what a wonderful session we had to bring a creative year of stories to an end! We began, as always, with an announcement of the winners of this year’s Writers’ Club competition. Competitions are such fun! They create a mood of anticipation and […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: creative writing, Sreeja Nag, St. Mary's School, Writers' Club

World Read Aloud Day at the Writers’ Club

February 3, 2019 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

The Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s School meets only twice a week, so World Read Aloud Day sometimes becomes Writers’ Club Read Aloud Day, but so what? I celebrated it for the first time last year and it was so much fun that I did it again this year. This time, children came forward and […]

Filed Under: Resources, Workshops Tagged With: How to pick a book, reading, St. Mary's School, World Read Aloud Day, Writers' Club

Big Books at the Writers’ Club

November 30, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Aren’t lit fests delightful? Last week, I was invited to St. Mary’s School’s first lit fest, and it was lovely. We walked into books like this one … And we had a panel discussion where we spoke about stories, poems, writing, dancing and music. We then visited classrooms and saw the work the children had […]

Filed Under: Lit Fests, Workshops Tagged With: St. Mary's School, Writers' Club

Our Own Voices

November 22, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I just skimmed through yet another article about how, growing up, we associated ‘white people doing white things’ with ‘people doing people things‘. This is an idea that I have to confront all the time, for racism is everywhere. It has forms that we unwillingly perpetuate too. For instance, I have an Indian friend who […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: diversity, Writers' Club

Reading, Writing, Dancing

October 19, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Dance, Random, Workshops, Writing Tagged With: Academy of Indian Dances, Ammachi's Amazing Machines, I Am Not Afraid, programme, St. Mary's School, Storyweaver, The Elephant Bird, The House with Chicken Legs, The Tigers of Taboo Valley, Writers' Club

Dear Future Reader …

July 18, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Imagine that you are writing to a reader who has not yet been born. Perhaps you’re writing to your own grandchild or great-grandchild. Or maybe you’re writing to someone whom you don’t know at all. What would you say? Here are a few of my favourites from this year’s Writers’ Club. There are many, many […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: creative writing, St. Mary's School, workshop, Writers' Club

Writers’ Club 2018-19

July 14, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

The Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s School is now in its fourth year! We started so that we could commemorate the sesquicentennial year with a collection of work put together by the children, but then just carried on from there. Today, we discovered how we have stories within us, just waiting to be told. This […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: creative writing, St. Mary's School, Writers' Club

Young Writers’ Club – Mystery Stories

April 23, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

A priceless necklace has been stolen from a museum and you are one of the suspects. How can you convince the jury that you’re innocent? “I was on a plane to Kashmir,” said one girl. “I can show you the ticket!” A little later, she added, “And I even have a photo that the air […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: creative writing, JustBooks, workshop, Writers' Club

Writers’ Club – Another Year Ends

February 25, 2018 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

The Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s School has been running for three years now! The third year ended on a high, with children (and me on the inside) running, shouting and celebrating. All through the year, we played games around writing, kept inspiring one another, wrote and rewrote – and this was the result. In […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: creative writing, St. Mary's School, Writers' Club

Children’s Day at the Writers’ Club – Who Am I?

November 14, 2017 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

“I know that,” I said, irritably. “But that’s no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours.” I threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore, hoping he was going to tell me something, but he didn’t, so I […]

Filed Under: Children, Workshops Tagged With: creative writing, literature, St. Mary's School, Writers' Club

Fortunately-Unfortunately

September 20, 2017 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

Option 1 “I am going to meet a monster today.” “Fortunately, it doesn’t bite.” “Unfortunately, that means it will just gobble you up.” Option 2 “I jumped into the swimming-pool today.” “Fortunately, the pool was heated.” “Unfortunately, I cannot swim.” “Fortunately, it was not deep.” Which beginning do you find more entertaining? I was very […]

Filed Under: Children, Resources, Workshops Tagged With: creative writing, St. Mary's School, Writers' Club, writing activities

Mr Oliver’s Diary

December 23, 2016 by Varsha Seshan Leave a Comment

I enjoyed reading this review of Mr Oliver’s Diary written by Arwen Banerjee, one of the students of the Writers’ Club at St. Mary’s School. The theme of the month was school stories, and this review was a refreshing change from the ones on Malory Towers, St. Clare’s and others! Mr Oliver’s Diary: Review Arwen Banerjee Ruskin […]

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: reading, review, St. Mary's School, Writers' Club

The Puppy Who Wanted to Fly

September 21, 2016 by Varsha Seshan 16 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: St. Mary's School, Writers' Club

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