interview with Priya Kurian

Bring out the child in you!

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This is the success mantra popular illustrator Priya Kurian follows. This artist has brought smiles to numerous children through her illustrations, which form an integral part of the children books. Here, in conversation with Varsha Verma, she reveals how she became a children book illustrator and how she comes up with a perfect illustration every time.The beginning…

Priya Kurian

Priya Kurian is an established children artist, who is trained as an animation film maker at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. “An important aspect of conceiving animation films consists of creating 'Concept Art' which involves illustrating various scenarios for the main characters of the film by using different visual techniques, mediums and treatments that really inspire one to think freely. Not all the scenarios created during this process are always included in the film. I enjoyed this stage of the film making process immensely and my interest in illustrating books was really an outcome of this. In my final year, I wrote to the people at Tulika Books on a whim and they were kind enough to give me the chance to work on a sweet story about an elephant called Bahadur who forgets how to sleep. The book is called I'm so Sleepy and is written by Radhika Chadha. The book turned out to be quite popular and I went on to illustrate a series of books with the same character. The series was called 'The Baby Bahadur' series,” tells Priya.

Later, Priya worked as an animator in a production house in Mumbai and then Seasame Street in Delhi. “Working at an animation studio didn't leave me with much time to pursue illustration very seriously, but by the time I decided to become a freelancer, which was after a year of working with Sesame Street Preschool, I had a small body of work that I compiled into a blog which I still maintain, and sent it to various publishers in Delhi. Since the first few books that I worked on were for a children's book publisher, I think most publishers assumed I illustrated only for kids books and the kind of work I received was mostly in the same area,” she recalls.

“Infact, I illustrated a few books for Puffin and Scholastic, and slowly over the years, more people in publishing got familiar with my work. So far, it's been really satisfying working on different kinds of projects with so many different people and I have realised how much I like working on children's books rather than illustrations for grownups,” she adds.

Hardest part of illustrating…

“…Getting started, I think. Because, that's the point where one needs to take the most amount of decisions and face the maximum number of choices in terms of what needs to be done with the characters and the treatment of the book. Sometimes, I find that these decisions can't be made in one sitting, but can take over a period of days and sometimes weeks,” replies Priya.

“Also another challenge is to put yourself back in the shoes of the child that you were. I think adults (including me) sometimes have a poor memory of what they were as children and what they felt like as a kid; what hurt you; what made you feel insecure. It is important to be able to tap into that,” adds Priya as a matter of fact.

Factors kept in mind while illustrating for children…

“I always try avoiding clichés, especially when it comes to creating characters. I like illustrations with enough details so that a kid can come back to it again and again, and perhaps spot something new each time he or she does so. I always like adding a touch of humour wherever possible in the details; something like a side joke which might really be part of the text. Also, one has to keep in mind that your audiences' experience of the world would cover the last 8 to 10 years as opposed to the last 20 and above. So, one should always keep up with what children find fascinating and be careful to use examples from popular culture and metaphors in your work that they understand,” she explains.

Real life influences…

“I love travelling and keep a record of places I visit. However small or big the city/village /town, one always comes back with quirky stories. Sometimes, the interesting characters I meet later find their way into my illustrations. So, I like to keep memories of those people and places in my notebook so as not to forget these,” she adds nonchalantly.

Advice to aspiring artists…

“Continuously keep at what one likes doing, work earnestly and honestly and don't compare yourself to another. Also, do some projects just for the love of it without thinking too much about what it would lead to. Compile your work online as well so that people can access it easily,” she advises.

Interview with Ashok K Banker

“The writer in me disappears once the story begins”

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says Ashok K Banker, an Anglo-Indian from a Christian family, who has been instrumental in reviving the readers’ interest in Hindu mythology and Vedic literature. What drives this talented author to these legends...how he adds the zing to all these texts...finds out Varsha Verma.Ashok K Banker is an internationally acclaimed author of mixed-race based in Mumbai. His Epic India Library is a lifetime writing plan that aims to retell all the major myths, legends and history of the Indian sub-continent in an interlinked cycle of over 100 volumes. This includes The Ramayana series, Krishna Coriolis, The Mahabharata series, the contemporary Kali Rising thriller series and other works. His books have sold over 1.85 million copies in 13 languages and 58 countries worldwide. No wonder he is credited with the resurgence of mythology in Indian publishing.

On mythology as his muse...

Ashok K Banker

“As a non-Hindu, I had no knowledge or experience of these stories or mythology. Though there were Amar Chitra Comics and TV serials, they could not amuse me. When I chanced upon the puranic texts as a young boy, I was amazed at the depth and detail and beauty of the original stories. It amazed me that those original tales were almost unknown to even Hindus today. For instance, I have met not even a handful of people in my lifetime who have read the original Valmiki Ramayana (even in translation) or the original Vyasa Mahabharata. Everyone believes they know these epics because they’ve watched Bollywood films or read comics or watched those TV serials, but that’s just a tip of the iceberg. The original epics are great works of world literature. Whether they were mythology or history or something else is for others to decide. To me, these were great stories that deserved to be known by the whole world. I waited almost thirty five years for someone to retell them or even just tell them in all their glorious detail but Indian English writers seemed to be only interested in writing about themselves, their love lives, their marriages...they still are, I guess. So I took the plunge, an Anglo-Indian from a Christian family, and did my best attempt to reclaim these great stories. If I succeeded in any small way, it’s not because I’m talented or a good writer, because I’m neither. It’s because these stories are great stories,” says the mythological writer Ashok.

Quoting an example of his eight-volume Ramayana series...

Everyone says they know the Ramayana. Few do. “When I began reading and gathering insights into the various Ramayana versions, I found that Muslims in Malaysia have their own version, so do people across Asia, even the rest of the world. There are probably more Sanskrit Ramayana scholars in Scandinavia than in Delhi! And more scholars and historians interested in Vedic culture in Russia and Middle Eastern Europe than in Benaras! But in India, people dismiss it as a simple tale of Good versus Evil. Or they use it as a whipping post to project their own insecurities and prejudices. The truth is, that was another age, another era. Were men chauvinistic then? Yes, of course they were. These stories were all written only by celibate men living alone in deep forests – they had no inkling of a woman’s mind or point of view. So definitely these tales are chauvinistic, brahmanically biased, North Indian. As someone of mixed race, mixed culture, with Sri Lankan British parentage, I was fascinated by how worked up people got even today when arguing the merits and demerits of what Rama or Sita or Ravana did or didn’t do in that distant past. Like, get real, people. They did what they did. They lived, they loved, they fought, they died. Deal with it. Move on with your lives! People take it so personally. Why? I think it’s guilt. Brahmanical Hindu guilt because they regard Rama as a God yet can’t accept the fact that he banished Sita. It’s a myth that Gods are perfect. Mythology tells us over and over again that even Gods were not perfect. Just because you consider someone a God, doesn’t mean he lived up to your expectations perfectly. My interest was in the core story, not in all this irrelevant claptrap. I just told the story, as someone with my mixed background and cultural upbringing would have, in my polyglot makapao Byculla Boy Anglo-desi style. The fact that someone actually saw fit to publish it, and well over a million readers (and counting) loved it so much, is amazing. It still remains my bestselling work, with the ebook editions now outselling the print editions ten to one, because new readers are discovering it every day,” tells Ashok proudly.

What more?

“I am more than halfway, almost two-thirds of the way through my retellings of the major myths, legends and itihasa of the Indian sub-continent. When complete they will all form the Epic India Library, a massive story cycle with interconnected volumes and series. I plan to finish this project in another two to three years and will then move on to writing more personal novels, mainly romances and serious contemporary fiction since those are my two personal interests,” he shares.

The newbie...

More recently, Ashok has released EPIC LOVE STORIES – of Shakuntala and Dushyanta- the love story that gave birth to a nation, Ganga and Shantanu - a love story written on water, Satyavati and Shantanu - a love story made possible by a son’s sacrifice, Amba And Bhishma - a love story that was never meant to be, Devayani, Sharmishtha And Yayati- a love triangle that changed a dynasty. On asking about the response so far, Ashok replied, “The response has been terrific. I believe in a direct line from reader to writer. Anyone can write to me anytime and I always reply. Almost 43,000 readers (out of about 2 million readers total) have written to me and I’ve answered immediately, even corresponding with several for decades. So I have this wonderful sample of readers who help me gauge if a book is being enjoyed or not. The Love Stories are a great concept, they feel. The lovely illustrations by Kunal Kundu and beautifully designed covers by Gunjan Ahlawat play a big role in that, I feel. It’s one of the few covers where I was invited to give input into the concept and I feel very happy with the results. In future titles in the series, I plan to include lesser known stories that readers are less familiar with and I think everyone of all ages can read and enjoy these books.”

What he wants to achieve by writing...

“I want to do justice to the story. The writer should disappear once the story begins: only his voice should remain. I alter my style, syntax, vocabulary, grammar, narrative devices, everything according to the story I’m telling. If you read my Krishna Coriolis, Ramayana Series, Mahabharata, Vertigo, Blood Red Sari, you’ll see they’re all in completely different narrative styles. The story decides how it should be told and the writer must serve the story. I’m irrelevant except to offer my voice, my mind, my very limited and poor skills, to work in the service of the story. I’m just the cobbler who works the leather, not the creator of the hide, nor the maker of the thread, nor the tools or implements...merely the cobbler,” says the humble Ashok.

Hardest part of writing...

“...the preparation, research, thinking, planning, ideating, gestating. It takes my anywhere from ten to thirty plus years to get ready to write a book. It involves a lifestyle change: If you don’t live, breathe, eat, sleep, drink writing everyday you’re only a businessman not a writer. Once it’s in your blood and you do it because you love, it’s like breathing. The actual act of writing is the easiest, most enjoyable part and barely takes any time. If it’s not, then you need to change your profession,” advises Ashok.

Advice to young author...

“Read, Read, Read. Write. In that proportion. Read at least a thousand books for every one you write. Don’t offer everything you write for publication. Be willing to throw away entire novels, even good ones, if you’re not totally happy with them. If you’re not writing better than other writers you read, you’re not ready to be published yet. Work at it. You never become a good author: your entire lifetime is a journey towards that goal. Even after 40 published books, I still feel like I’m learning how to do it all over again with each book. I still get a thrill out of it. I still love it madly. Forget the money, forget fame, forget the PR and the publicity game. It’s all about the writing and that only comes from the heart, the soul, the gut,” he advises.

Unwinding facts...

“Writing is my hobby. Being a husband, a father, a caregiver to my companion Willow, those are my real jobs. I unwind by writing, by reading...and by going to the gym which I really enjoy,” he says.

On a concluding note...

“Be well, read lots of good books (not just mine) and be kind to as many people as you can. Because good people make good readers and good writers,” concludes Ashok.

The Shiva Trilogy wins!

Some attribute his success to the fast paced story line, others attribute it to the philosophy attraction in the book, while a few others think it is all about the marketing of the book, but Amish Tripathi believes that it is the blessing of the Lord Shiva! Here, Varsha Verma finds out more about the secret to his success story.Amish Tripathi, better known for his Shiva Trilogy - The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas and The Oath of the Vayuputras, which has become the fastest selling book series in the history of Indian publishing, with 1.7 million copies in print and over Rs 40 crore in sales. More recently, he made the headlines for bagging Rs 5 crore as advance for his next series of books from Westland. What made this banker-turned-full-time author a household name, finds out Varsha Verma in conversation with Amish Tripathi.

A modest beginning…

“Since I do not belong to a well-to-do family, I started writing alongwith my job as a banker. The first book – The Immortals of Meluha – took me 5 years to write,” shares Amish. Interestingly, the manuscript was rejected by several publishers and Amish had no choice than to publish it himself, in association with his agent Anuj, who happened to start his own publishing unit at that time. “The primary challenge was to how to get noticed – people were not willing to try a new author and a new publisher. So, we came up with innovative marketing ideas. We were the first ones to distribute the first chapter of our book free of cost to the prospective readers – never been done before in the book publishing industry. We also came up with a trailer for our first book and we were very active on the social media space,” shared Amish.

“The market initiatives were expensive. But, since we are a double-income family, we decided to invest money with the assumption that we might not recover our cost. But, we got an overwhelming response for the first book itself, ” he added.

From banker to a full-time author… 

“After my second book, my wife Preeti Vyas and my elder brother Anish Tripathi encouraged me to become a full-time author as my royalty income was much more than the salary I was earning at that time. Though I wanted to continue my job, it was exhausting and I decided to pursue writing as my career. And I would say that I am a lucky guy to have an opportunity to make living out of my passion,” shared Amish.

Secret to success…

Though different people have different analysis for the success of these books, Amish strongly believes that it is the blessing of Lord Shiva. “A few analysts say that the series has been successful because of the fast-paced story line, while a few others feel that the philosophy in the book was a major attraction and a few others believe that it is all due to good marketing. But, I know this is the blessings of Lord Shiva,” he added.

From books to films…

The book The Immortals of Meluha is now being adapted for a film by Dharma Productions. “I am the creative consultant of the team but I am not involved in the writing of the film script. But, I believe that since they are equally passionate about the subject, the film should come out well,” told Amish.

Writer’s viewpoint…

Amish strongly believes that one cannot be a good writer unless he is a good reader. An avid reader himself, he is currently reading the translated version of Valmiki’s Ramayana.

On asking about what Amish wants to achieve while writing, he replied, “My only aim is to be true to the story and it has worked.”

And what’s the hardest part of writing a book? “When the character in the book suffers or dies, the author suffers too – those are not imaginary characters, they are real for an author. I remember when the first character in my book died, I wept like a baby,” shared Amish.

Message to readers…

Since there are numerous choices for entertainment, Amish feels that a book is a different experience than a movie. “For example, a movie is a short-term relationship (2-3 hours) while a book stays with you for a week or two. Though each form of entertainment has its own joy, the book has its own importance,” he told.

What next?

“Though I have not decided on the subject of my next series, but one thing I am sure is that it would be in the space of mythology and history,” concluded Amish.

Interview with Pritish Nndy

“Writing is the magic of reaching out to unknown, often unseen people and sharing your most private thoughts with them”

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says Pritish Nandy, an icon in poetry, journalism and film industry in conversation with Varsha Verma of All About Book Publishing.

Pritish Nandy, the man who redefined Indian poetry is a man with various feathers in his cap. He is one of India’s most celebrated names, whose books, record albums, readings drew an iconic following and won him the Padma Shri and the EM Forster Literary Award. Alongside being a famous and award-winning journalist and editor, he is also well remembered as the host of India’s first signature TV show, The Pritish Nandy Show. The show also helped launch Pritish Nandy Communication, a company that has made over 25 films in the past decade, including Kante, Chameli, Jhankar Beats, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Pyar ke Side Effects.
More recently, Pritish Nandy launched his new book Stuck on 1/Forty. Here, Pritish Nandy tells more about his new book and his varied experiences, in an exclusive interview with All About Book Publishing.

Varsha: Tell us something about your new book Stuck on 1/Forty?

Pritish Nandy: You can call it a book of poems if you want. You can call it notes to oneself, a quick look at the mirror. You can call it a conversation that I hope will be picked up across different media to create a new insight into the poetry of our times. It can be read, looked at, experienced. It can be shared across platforms, disseminated. It can be a dialogue with oneself. It all depends on how you find your own response to the book, to the work. I believe the nature of poetry is itself undergoing change today. Like everything else, it is becoming visual and interactive.


Varsha: Who would be the target audience for your new book?

Pritish Nandy: Anybody who loves any kind of new writing is its target audience, but especially those who love to read stuff that can touch their lives and change it. Young people would be the obvious answer. But that is not exactly true. Because lovers of traditional poetry and literature can also enjoy these poems, savour them, dip into them at will. This is about the magic of rediscovering the power of words. You can read the poems here in a way you want to. If you like them, you will keep going back to them and find new things out there. These are poems you can share with others or savour in absolute solitude.

Varsha: As a writer, what do you aim to achieve when you start writing?

Pritish Nandy: As a writer I have only one purpose: to push back boundaries of the literary experience and bring more readers into the fold. The audiovisual experience is drawing away everyone today and the only way literature and poetry can survive is by enriching the experience through greater sensory power. You cannot expect the iambic pentameter or the classic sonnet to impress readers today. You have to find new formats, new interactive experiences. You have to uncover the veil and look in. You will find poetry is as much a sensual experience as a song or a movie. That is how it was always meant to be; way beyond the pedantic and the purely literary that we have reduced it to.

Varsha: When did you "know" you wanted to write professionally?

Pritish Nandy: I wrote and published my first serious bit of writing in The Statesman, Calcutta when I was 13. At 16, I wrote my first book of poems. It was published when I was 17 and I have never looked back. I wrote over forty books before I left Calcutta and came to Mumbai in the winter of 1982 to head The Times of India Group. That was when I stopped writing books and became a full time journalist and editor. It is only now, after so many years, that I have returned to writing poetry. But I realise that a poet writing in the 70s and a poet writing today are pursuing entirely different courses. Language has changed. Form has changed. Idiom has changed. Readers have changed. And so have reading habits. This book attempts to address these concerns and yet be true to what we have traditionally seen as literature and poetry. That is its inherent challenge, the contradictions it contends with.

Varsha: You are a man of different facets. Which role is the most challenging and which role you like the best?

Pritish Nandy: Everything I do, whether I write or paint or take pictures or make movies, it is all about talking to others and trying to begin a conversation. That is what all creativity is finally about. It's the magic of reaching out to unknown, often unseen people and sharing your most private thoughts with them. It's a slow, sexy strip tease.

Varsha: In your opinion, what is the hardest part of writing a book? Why?

Pritish Nandy: There is no hardest part in writing a book. I enjoy every part of it. I struggle with words at times but that is a delightful experience fraught with both pain and pleasure. I struggle with images. That too is wonderful. And, finally, I struggle with the way we put the book together. That's the ultimate challenge. And with Sanjana and Amaryllis there this time, I have had the easiest, most wonderful time of my life. No sweat at all.

Varsha: What writing/publishing advice do you give to aspiring writers of any age?

Pritish Nandy: I give no advice to anyone. Not even my children. I let them discover their lives. That is as it should be. Writers are a proud race. Why should they seek anyone's advice? They must each create their own road, their own track. That is how they will eventually reach their own goals. But yes, confidence is the key to good writing. If you are not confident about what you have written, don't publish it. Work on it till you are. You will know when you are ready to publish it. Your heart will tell you.

Varsha: Tell us something about your reading habits and any authors that you would name as influences?

Pritish Nandy: My problem is that I am a disgustingly eclectic reader. I read any trash that comes my way: Swedish thrillers, Latin American poetry, Political history, Woody Allen screenplays, even 50 Shades of Grey! I read what catches my attention. That is why you will often find me lurking in a corner of a bookshop when everyone is desperately searching for me. When I start reading something, no one can tear me away. As for influences, at different times in my life, different writers have taught me many things. But I unlearn them easily and casually. Influence is too strong a word. I have been grabbed by authors, yes. But I have weathered it and journeyed on. Every day is a new discovery, a new experience, a new learning.

Varsha: What was the book that most influenced your life — and why?

Pritish Nandy: It was not a book. It was a couple of lines from a poem that Life magazine once carried many years ago: Si muero, dejad elbalcón abierto (English translation: If I die, leave the balcony open). I was a school boy that time and was so moved by it that I learnt Spanish to read Lorca and it not only opened up his poetry to me but also the amazing gamut of Latin American verse. I read about love and adultery, a magnificent continent coming alive through its words and images. I found Neruda's first sheaf of love poems and a song of despair. Then there was Howl by Ginsberg, a completely difference experience. Poetry of the Beatnik generation. Unforgettable times that threw up unforgettable writing! Books are where my life began.

Varsha: We live in a time when young people have numerous choices for entertainment. What would you like to say to people who may be hesitant about reading a book for "fun”?

Pritish Nandy: There is nothing more magical than opening a book and getting drawn into it, word by word. It's like discovering God. Or love. It never stops. Try it and it will change your life forever.

Varsha: What message would you like to give to your readers?

Pritish Nandy: Love. Live. Read. Do them all in excess. You will find joy, fulfilment and the realisation of all your dreams. Never hold yourself back. Enjoy every excess. That is what I believe in. The celebration of excess. The outrageous dream. It always comes true.

Varsha: What next can the readers expect from you?

Pritish Nandy: My three next books are a collection of my casual writing for The Times of India called Nothing in Particular (I have been writing a weekly column there for thirty years), a new version of the Isha Upanishad and a collection of 10th and 11th century erotic Sanskrit poetry in a wildly contemporary translation. Yes, I am having fun. Lots of it!

In conversation with award-winning authors

Niyogi Books’ Intriguing India wins National Award

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Published by Niyogi Books, New Delhi, two travel books The Alluring North and The Vibrant West received the prestigious National Tourism Award for ‘Excellence’ from the president of India, Pranab Mukherjee at a glittering function in New Delhi. Here the authors of the books – Hugh and Colleen Gantzer reveal more in conversation with Varsha Verma.Who were the strange Gods who taught, and danced with, the Dahs in the high mountains of Ladakh? Why were the caves of Ajanta first carved? What is the true meaning of a strange painting in a church in Chennai? Where did the warrior Nagas come from? These are just a few questions which are answered in travel books which have been conferred with the National Tourism Award for ‘Excellence’. It is the first time in the history of the awards that such an honour has been conferred jointly on a couple for two books written and illustrated by them.

Hugh and Colleen Gantzer

Authored by the Gantzer couple, Hugh and Colleen and published by Niyogi Books, the titles The Alluring North and The Vibrant West are part of a four-volume series. “The other two books in the series, The Historic South and The Colourful East, could not be submitted for the award because they were released after the stipulated dates,” told Hugh as a matter of fact. All four books have, however, been packaged together in an attractive slip-cover giving readers access to 96 intriguing Indian destinations. “Our experience with Niyogi Books has been very good as they have the best production values,” he added.

Written in an informal, provocative style, the four Intriguing India books target the new information-hungry, questing, social-media generation. They will captivate both the mature, informed, travellers who look for more insightful encounters, as well as who ask why things are as intriguing as they are. “There has been a change in the expectations of the tourists. First, they wanted to go and see a monument, then slowly they evolved and now they want to even do much more than visiting the monument – they wish to meet people and know more about the culture and the history of the place. That is why books like The Life of Pi have been so popular,” told Hugh.

“Myths and legends are prevalent everywhere and at their core, lies the truth. We have tried to peel the layers from them and have tried to bring the legend connect and possible explanation, through our books,” he added.

“A retired naval officer, Hugh always liked to travel. It was at his last posting in Kerala that we decided to explore the state as we might never come back to this place. Believe it or not, we travelled from Kerala to Kanyakumari on a two-wheeler alongwith our son. We made our notes, wherever we went and wrote about Kerala for Illustrated Weekly. That was the beginning, we had become travel writers,” told Colleen.

Hugh & Colleen have written several travel articles for various newspapers and magazines including Femina, Weekly, Mirror, Readers’ Digest, Business Standard, to name a few. They also wrote the script for TV series ‘Looking Beyond.’ They also authored several books including thrillers and a book on spices as well. More recently, they are working on a book on the Ashoka Hotel. “We signed the contract just two days back and it seems to be a thrilling project,” concluded Hugh.