100 years in publishing!

For Rajpal & Sons, the year 2012 is special – they are completing 100 years of publishing this year. To commemorate the occasion, they have a plethora of new launches this year. Pranav, marketing director briefs about the company’s memorable 100 years to Varsha Verma.

The facts…

With more than 4,000 titles of which 2,000 are active till date, Rajpal & Sons has come a long way. “Infact as many as 50 titles have been continuously printed for the last 50 years. These are the evergreen classics of Indian literature,” informed Pranav, marketing director, Rajpal & Sons.

So what are the average print runs for their books? “Across all, we can say that the average print run is about 3,000 copies but there are a few titles like Madhushala by Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Abdul Kalam’s books with print run upto 10,000 copies,” he disclosed.

Perhaps their multi-packaging strategy for almost all titles, has kept Rajpal & Sons afloat. “We package the same book in different formats – paperback, hardbound, premium packaging, etc to suit the customer’s budgets,” told Pranav. “Hence, we have a same book at different prices – the content is the same but the look differs. Each of our title is available in at least two formats. This way, we spread cost across all the formats and pass on the benefit to the consumer.”

A new ‘centenary logo’ has been designed to mark the 100 years of publishing at Rajpal & Sons.

Reviving the old classics…

As a part of this celebrations, Rajpal & Sons is bringing out centenary editions of classics like Madhushala, Gitanjali, etc in a bigger format.

Major launches this year…

There are four major launches this year – Kalam on Corruption, Straight Talk by Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, and books on Narayan Murthy and Irom Sharmila. The pre-booking of these books has already begun at the New Delhi World Book Fair 2012.

Foray into children books…

More recently, Rajpal & Sons has diversified into children books. “We are heavily investing in the designing of children books…it’s not just the cover but the inside pages as well. We wish to enhance the child’s experience for the entire book,” told Pranav.

The books on Panchtantra, mythology and places have already been launched and during this year itself, they plan to launch 35 titles in this genre. For this, they have tied up with different set of distributors and retailer for the Indian sub-continent. And with Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan in full swing, Pranav hopes that the demand for graphical books will grow with time.

Enhancing the reading experience…

Not just children books, illustrations and pictures have become a part of their books now. Pranav also mentioned about their book Sunset Club which is set in the lush Lodhi Garden. “In order to take the readers to feel the set-up, we used a lot of pictures as well,” he added. Similarly, their book on Abdul Kalam has real-life pictures with text. “It really helps set the tone and context of the story being talked about. The content gets automatically elevated using design inputs,” he said.

Similarly their cookbooks by Sanjeev Kapur have a lot of pictures. “Besides we are bringing out a series of comprehensive range of ‘shayri’ books. We are not just repackaging the cover but are also integrating illustrations to go with the particular piece,” shared Pranav.

On language publishing…

Most of the books at Rajpal & Sons are available in four languages, of which Hindi and English are always there. “We have regular tie-ups for regional languages like Marathi, Telugu, Kannada and Gujarati,” told Pranav. “In fact, we pioneered the concept of India-made books in regional languages. We started the concept with Kalam’s book Indomitable Spirit which was published in eight languages in one year. This concept is very successful for books on national icons.”

On e-books…

“It is interesting that the old and modern are coming together. “Our e-book formats for Kindle and iPads are generating good response and demand, especially for the old classics,” conveyed Pranav.

Publishing is never going to die and the fact that publishers like Rajpal & Sons having firm roots in this industry for over a centenary, stress this point even more.

A whiff of words

Go to a bookstore and you are bound to find some interesting fiction titles from Indian authors. You pick up a book and are carried away with their real-like characters, people you can associate yourself with and you feel happy to read something rather than the usual foreign titles. This new breed of writers has not stemmed all of a sudden – they were always there but the publishers and the readers are now more open to accept and experiment the new authors. Who knows which one becomes a bestseller tomorrow!The industry is always on the lookout for fresh writings and new authors are now encouraged to write. There has been an increasing trend of signing new authors for the segment which was once flooded only with foreign authors – fiction. Today, Indian authors are weaving interesting stories and novels for the readers while interestingly, foreign authors are delving in the Indian mythology and history. It’s a win-win situation for the readers, while they can connect more with the Indian characters in the fiction, they get a wider perspective about the characters they have known since ages (the mythological characters or historical personalities).

But, is it easy for these authors to write and most importantly, get their works published? There would still be so many authors around us, who are just waiting for their first break – while a few of them resort to self-publishing, others simply disappear in oblivion.

We spoke to five first-time authors on their experience of writing and getting their first book published and here’s what they shared. Sarah Vetteth is the author of Art for Kids; Dharini Bhaskar, author of The Earth’s Been Well Thumbed; Dirk Collier, author of The Emperor’s Writings; Chandrima Pal, author of The Song for I and Jvalant Nalin Sampat is the author of the Tenth Unknown.

The writers…

The authors are real people like you and me. They have followed their desire to write and have really worked towards getting their work published. All those who have the urge to write something, need to really look deep inside – is there a writer budding inside them to open his/her wings of imagination.

It happened the same with Dharini who had been writing for over six years – unpublished pieces, prose-poems and short fiction, until she discovered her potential to write and was lucky enough to get a break of three months between university and her job to let her concentrate on her work. “I spent all day, often all night, writing; spoke to nobody, heard from not a soul, and had only a thesaurus, books of poetry, and a rat that had made itself a home in my shoe cupboard for company. Sometimes, you need that kind of alone-ness. Above all else, I believe, solitude inspires,” she adds.

Favourite time to write…

Being a full-time writer is not easy, so most of the first-time authors we spoke to, have a full-time job and they write in their leisure time. “Well, I work 10-12 hours a day, six days a week. So three hours at night is all I could get for my writing. Thankfully I wrote my first draft during a sabbatical,” tells Chandrima.

For Dharini and Jvalant, it is night-writing all the way. “There’s something about the still black sky, the hush of the world without, dream-talk, that grants one clarity. Sunlight makes life much too obvious, too transparent; one needs the night to know of secrets,” tells Dharini smiling.

While Jvalant says, “I need pin-drop silence when I am writing. In Mumbai, this is only possible during the night. So I used to write into the wee hours of the morning. Between 1.00 am to 4.00 am were probably my most productive writing hours.”

But, all writers are not night-writers, there are some morning writers too…like Dirk. “I usually spend my evenings doing research and reading. But when it comes to creativity, I’m a morning person, so that’s when I do my writing. In my case, the practical consequence of my decision to write about Akbar has been: getting up an hour early, every single day, for seven years in a row…” he adds.

The hardest part of writing…

“Time,” came the quick reply from Dharini, “As with all those in an intimate relationship with words, the hardest part is finding the time and space to create. Writing does not pay to begin with (and often, does not pay at all), and you find yourself struggling to locate a few moments after a demanding job that pays the rent. With some effort, you learn to lead a schizoid existence – devote eight hours of yourself to the day-job, disconnect, write. But it’s not easy.”

While, for Chandrima, it is the later stage, when you are cleaning, fixing, structuring and polishing the manuscript. “After you have said your story, you try to tell it better and better with successive drafts. And keeping your interest and energy up is a challenge during this phase,” she adds. And Sarah seconds it, “The hardest part is being patient while it goes from final draft to getting on shelves in stores!”

But, Dirk and Jvalant find research the hardest part. “As my ambition was to write an authentic historical novel, I absolutely wanted to get everything right: the protagonists, the political, religious and cultural context, etc. So, I had to research a lot,” Dirk adds.

His views are echoed by Jvalant, who feels the hardest part of writing the book is to get the research right. “Considering mine as a WW-2 book, I wanted to get every historical incident right as well as every artefact. The guns used then, the cigars Churchill smoked, the chronology of events, the posters of the hotels, the cars used, etc. I was quite fanatical about getting the minutest of details right and this process was more time consuming than the actual writing,” he adds.

Finding a publisher…a mammoth task?

But how do these first-time authors find the right publishers? Is it by sheer luck or a reference? Does it takes on months, and sometimes years to find the right one? What about numerous rejections and dejections?

“The road to publication is narrow, steep, tortuous and thorny… People outside the publishing business hardly realize how difficult it is to get published. For every manuscript that gets published, there are dozens of others that never see the light of day. It’s very much a buyer’s market: publishers and agents find themselves literally inundated with manuscripts! So, unless you’re a celebrity, getting your book project noticed in the first place is quite difficult and usually terribly frustrating,” says Dirk.

But, for Dharini, it was luck by chance– miracles began in the streets of Delhi, in rickety autos. “I had completed my manuscript; I needed to find a publisher but I did not know how to begin the process or where to look. The few people I approached – all distant acquaintances – had turned silent, and my inhibitions and fears further crippled me. That’s when I happened to share an auto-rickshaw with Mridula Koshy, another upcoming author. It was a cold Delhi night, and Mridula looked at me and asked, ‘Have you approached Amaryllis?’ The moment the name was enunciated, something in me, dormant so far, stirred. I got home, typed out a hurried letter, found Amaryllis’ e-mail address through a perfunctory google-search, and sent my manuscript over. Within a day, I had a response conveying curiosity and interest. Within a fortnight, I had a publisher. We signed the contract at the Jaipur literature festival, and have been on a voyage of discovery since. I couldn't have asked for a warmer, more nurturing publishing group.”

Sarah also found her publisher through a recommendation. “I began writing the books with no concept about how to get them published or distributed. As luck would have it, a common friend mentioned my project to someone at the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA). I showed them my book draft and we began working together on editing and designing the books. It took a couple of years between when we began out discussion and when the books were finally printed - but FICA did a fantastic job of editing, designing and printing the books which turned out better than I imagined!” she adds.

If you think being published/broadcast/printed makes it easier for you to find a publisher, think again! Chandrima, who is a journalist by profession thought her background would make things easier but she was wrong. “When I started writing and approaching publishers, I realised, I had to start from scratch. It was a humbling experience. Thankfully my agent stepped in at the right time and got me a deal,” she adds.

Dirk, too, found his publisher (Amaryllis) through Siyahi, one of India’s leading literary agents, via a common friend of his. Another author to take the literary agent route was Jvalant. “Agents in India are a relatively newer concept but having lived abroad for an extended period of time, I thought of approaching an agent as the best bet. Accordingly, when I approached 2-3 recognized agencies in India and when Mita Kapur of Siyahi offered me a deal to represent me, I snapped it up,” he said. His book has been published by Niyogi Books.

There are many more publishers and literary agents who are willing to contemplate new authors. Dedication, a good script and the die-hard attitude is all that is required to get published!

“Focus on the characters and let them lead the way”

– advises Cynthia Leitich Smith, a New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-selling author for children and young adults fiction.Cynthia Leitich Smith is best-selling author of Tantalize, Eternal, Blessed, Diabolical and Tantalize: Kieren's Story (Candlewick/Walker). Her award-winning books for younger children include Jingle Dancer, Indian Shoes, Rain Is Not My Indian Name (all HarperCollins US) and Holler Loudly (Dutton/Penguin US). Her website at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com was named one of The Top 10 Writer Sites on the internet by Writer's Digest and an ALA Great Website for Kids. Her Cynsations blog at cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com was listed as among the top two read by the children's/YA publishing community in the SCBWI ‘To Market’ column. Here’s more about this talented children and young adult writer.

AABP: You have been an established children and young adult author for many years now. Describe your journey so far?

Cynthia: When I first began writing for young readers, I took the quintessential piece of advice we so often give to beginners: write what you know. For me, that meant contemporary stories of lower middle class, mixed blood Native American families from the mid-to-southwest. My first three books – Jingle Dancer, a picture book illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying Hwa Hu; Rain Is Not My Indian Name, a tween novel; and Indian Shoes, a chapter book collection of short stories (all HarperCollins US) – follow in this tradition.

While I continue to publish Native American short stories, I began diversifying from this focus some years ago, adding funny picture books (like Holler Loudly, illustrated by Barry Gott (Dutton/Penguin US) and YA Gothic fantasies to my areas of concentration. With regard to the latter, I’m the author of the Tantalize series, which includes Tantalize, Eternal, Blessed, the forthcoming Diabolical, and a graphic novel, Tantalize: Kieren’s Story, illustrated by Ming Doyle (published by Candlewick/Walker Books UK & Aus/NZ, among others).

In addition, I’ve published several short stories and essays, including Cat Calls and Haunted Love which are set in the Tantalize universe and available for free download from major e-retailers.

Beyond that, I frequently teach writing for young readers and enjoy speaking at schools, public libraries, festivals, teacher/librarian conferences, museums, and other venues.

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

Cynthia: I started out as a journalist, already working in newsrooms by age 19. My shift to children’s-YA fiction came after I graduated from journalism school at the University of Kansas and The University of Michigan Law School. I was working as a law clerk in Chicago when I made the decision to quit my day job and write for kids full time.

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

Cynthia: Rough drafts are especially challenging to me, in a hair-and-teeth pulling kind of way. Every word you put down is a decision, and every single one costs you energy. But first drafts also are exhilarating, like skydiving (not that I would ever skydive). I tend to have a few weeks of doubt, wondering if my idea is truly “novel worthy,” and then I see the threads start to flow together.

AABP: What factors are kept in mind while writing for children and young adults?

Cynthia: I recommend focusing on the characters and letting them lead the way. Where beginners most often get in trouble, I think, is in letting their inner parent, teacher or preacher get in the way. Yes, the perfect mom might well step in and solve the problem. But then Mom is the hero, and youth fiction is largely about the child hero. So, give your protagonist an imperfect mom instead. I can imagine the events as they unfold. I have a cinematic imagination.

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

Cynthia: If your manuscript is not under contract, give yourself a firm deadline and take it to heart. Finite tasks tend to fill the amount of time we allocate to them.

AABP: What was the book that most influenced your life - and why?

Cynthia: I’ll choose two – The Witch from Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear. As a young reader, I heavily identified with Kit, her love of reading, and her struggle to find her place in the world. I also have to give a shout out to Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause. Her girl-powered werewolf hero Vivian is much of the reason I write YA Gothics today.

AABP: What are your favorite books to give – and get – as gifts and what are you reading right now?

Cynthia: I tend to give signed titles by my author friends. It’s a way of sort of introducing people I care about to each other through the books. On the flipside, I like receiving books outside of my field that can be read purely for pleasure. Plain reads, if you will.

I finally read The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins and was vowed. The hype is well deserved. It’s a wonderful example of writing with purpose, and I can’t wait to see the movie adaptation. I also just finished a terrific middle grade debut, The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin.

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

Cynthia: I’d focus on story instead. What kind of stories does the child enjoy? Does he love The Harry Potter movies? Has he read the books? How about other fantasies? Does she like monsters? Does she feel like an outsider? Then, how about Heather Brewer’s Vladimir Tod series?

AABP: What are your favourite pastimes?

Cynthia: My latest toy is my treadmill desk, which has been a boon to my work day. I’ve latched onto a couple of new (to me) TV shows – Supernatur1al and to a lesser extent, The Big Bang Theory. And I’m newly addicted to the vegetable drink V-8.

AABP: Which is the next book that readers can look forward to?

Cynthia: Diabolical will be released this year by Candlewick/Walker. It’s book four in the Tantalize series (though it can stand alone) and unites the previous heroes in the most thrilling, horrific, romantic and suspenseful of my books to date. I love the humor of my characters and their courage. It was a pleasure to write.

I’m also excited about my latest short story, Mooning Over Broken Stars, which appears in Girl Meets Boy, edited by Kelly Milner Halls (Chronicle). It’s a companion to a story by one of my favorite authors, Joseph Bruchac. I totally want to be Joe when I grow up.

- Varsha Verma

Interview

MA Sikander: zeal to excel

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- Striving towards New Delhi World Book Fair 2012 at par with international fairsThe New Delhi World Book Fair 2012 is just round the corner and efforts are being made by National Book Trust (NBT), under the able guidance of MA Sikander, to make it a better and a bigger fair than its earlier editions. Here, Sikander shares his plans for this much-awaited show with SK Khurana and Varsha Verma.The 20th edition of biennial New Delhi World book Fair is scheduled from February 25-March 4, 2012 at the strategically located Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The show is organized by the National Book Trust (NBT), an autonomous organisation founded in 1957 by the first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru under the Ministry of HRD, Govt of India as the national body for book publishing and book promotion. NBT is not leaving any stone unturned to make it one of the best fairs in the country, at par with other international book fairs.

The director of National Book Trust - MA Sikander, who has been appointed just 150 days back, is very optimistic about the expanse and arrangements of the upcoming fair. “We wish to raise the bar of what we have been doing for so many years. We are planning everything in advance. We have even made arrangements for the travel desk wherein visitors from other cities and countries can avail discounts at hotels as well as get local transport conveniently at better rates,” he said. Sikander is taking note of even trivial things like issuing I-cards and branded blazers for the event.

Last edition, the signage system at the fair was not adequate, which we had reported in our special report on the show. To this, Sikander replied, “We are planning a better signage system. To make it easier for the visitors, we are naming the halls according to the books displayed in that particular hall. And all these would be properly marked for easy navigation. Also, there would be an exact record of visitors at the show as there would be a barcode entry for all.”

There would be a host of activities like author meets, book releases, seminars, discussion forums, rights pavilion, etc. “As a bonus, we are trying to have atleast one international event where foreign delegates or embassies would be participating. For example, we are planning to have one activity with Iran, with four translated books from NBT. Besides, we are also planning an event on regional languages,” he added. Visitors can even find 10 percent more participation of foreign exhibitors as compared to New Delhi World Book Fair 2010.

Taking forward their trend of offering theme-based international rights exhibition, the fair, this time will have a right exhibition on Indian cinema, celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema. For this, they have already received around 250 titles for display. “There would be huge publicity, visuals, screening of films, children related activities, etc to supplement it,” told Sikander enthusiastically.

Not only this, NBT is now poised to start a local or regional book fair or book festival in Delhi University campus from 2013 onwards. Sikander also plans to have a host of upgradations at NBT, few of which include foray into ebooks, ERP system by next year and modernization of stores and delivery modes. He was not happy with the moderate stand of NBT at this years’ Frankfurt Book Fair and plans for a much-better international standard stall next year.

“Infact, the book fair activity is being treated as the daughter’s wedding at NBT. We all are together working to make it the best New Delhi Book Fair so far,” concluded Sikander.

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHORS

Rashmi Bansal: writing for aspiring entrepreneurs

The new but influential name in the Indian non-fiction category is Rashmi Bansal. Her first book ‘Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish’ created uproar and the rest, as they say, is history. Here’s more on this inspiring writer for aspiring entrepreneurs. 

A writer, entrepreneur and youth expert – Rashmi Bansal is the author of two bestselling books on entrepreneurship - Stay Hungry Stay Foolish and Connect the Dots, and the third one I Have a Dream is already creating ripples. While Stay Hungry Stay Foolish features the stories of 25 MBAs who left lucrative jobs to follow the rough road of entrepreneurship, Connect the Dots focuses on non-MBA entrepreneurs and I Have a Dream focuses on social entrepreneurs. Rashmi is also the co-founder and editor of JAM (Just Another Magazine). Besides, she is a guest lecturer at various business schools. Here’s a quick round of questions for Rashmi.

AABP: How would you describe your three books?

Rashmi: My three books are inspirational stories of real life people, with learnings and motivation to ‘do something’ in life. They are specifically targeted at youth and aspiring entrepreneurs.

AABP: After the success of your first two books, what has been the response to the third book so far?

Rashmi: Response to I Have a Dream has been phenomenal. From the week of release (June 8, 2011), it has been the number one selling non-fiction title in India as per AC Nielsen retail Bookscan and continues to be so till date.

AABP: When did you “know” you wanted to write professionally?

Rashmi: When I was 17 years old, in 2nd yr of BA, I started freelancing for various newspapers. By the time I graduated I had over 100 published articles to my credit. That’s the time I knew and I wanted to be a writer.

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

Rashmi: The hardest part about writing is the commitment to self imposed deadlines and quota of writing every day and every week. It is easy to get distracted!

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

Rashmi: Write from the heart. Don’t write for an audience, do it for yourself. Last but not the least, keep it simple, clear and crisp.

AABP: What are you reading right now? Are there any authors (living or dead) that you would name as influences?

Rashmi: My favourite authors include Malcolm Gladwell, Po Bronson, Elizabeth Gilbert for non-fiction books and Alexander McCall Smith, RK Narayan, Judy Blume and Agatha Christie for fiction books.

AABP: Which was the book that most influenced your life – and why?

Rashmi: For me, it is You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hays. Everything you need to know about how to ‘get it right’ is in there and you can read it a hundred times and still discover something new about yourself.

AABP: 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?

Rashmi: Readers rule the world. If you want to crack the CAT exam, the reading habit will help you sail through. If you want to learn and grow throughout your life, reading, reading and reading is the only way!

AABP: What’s Rashmi in real life?

Rashmi: I practice Isha Yoga and follow the lectures and writings of numerous spiritual gurus. I have taken a few baby steps into a journey within myself and advise everyone to start that process. It is the most exciting journey one will ever undertake!

Bookaroo 2011: celebrating the world of books

Children literary festival at its best….

Three days of celebrating books through reading, storytelling, art, craft, panel discussions, songs, a doodle wall and an illustrators' exhibition and much much more…Bookaroo 2011 had everything that kept children glued to one thing – books, books and more books…encouraging and bringing in the joy of reading.Scheduled from November 25-27, 2011, the 2011 Bookaroo, Children’s Literature Festival was held in the beautiful ambience of the Sanskriti Kendra, Anandgram, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, New Delhi. Started in 2008, this Children’s Literature Festival is now an annual event in New Delhi and includes Bookaroo in the City, where book related activities are held in schools across New Delhi. This year Bookaroo hosted 62 speakers from 12 countries and as part of its "outreach programme", organized reading and interaction sessions in a 100 MCD and private schools and Kendriya Vidyalayas (as a part of Bookaroo in the City programme).

Co-produced by Bookaroo and Teamworks Prooductions, the fair aims to promote Children’s literature both locally, regionally and globally.

Children flocked around The "Doodle Wall", the "Kahani Tree" and other spots where they could just have fun and what was more that the parents enjoyed seeing their kids have fun with books.

Children’s all-time favourite author Paro Anand session on book reading was a sell-out as she read out from ‘Wingless’- her book about a flightless bird. Children were equally enthusiastic at other book reading sessions by authors like Deepa Agarwal, Ramendra Kumar, Steve Skidmore and Steve Barlow, Northern Irish author John Dougherty, Poile Sengupta, Kunzang Choden and Anita Roy, Lovleen Mishra and Chatura Rao, Sandhya Rao, Deepa Balsavar, etc gave lively book reading sessions.

The Workshops organized were also a major hit with children. At the workshop of Subhadra Sen Gupta, the children displayed their intelligence quotient as Subhadra talked about history and all things past. It was followed by a quiz and the world map was explored. The session was a very interactive one. While, sliding pictures and moving frames were the highlight of the session with Satoshi Kitamura. The parents and children gaped and applauded as the wooden theatre came alive with moving stories. The guessing game had everybody working their minds and figuring out what the picture shadows meant. It was a very interactive session.

Shamini never fails to bring alive the child in everyone attending her wonderful sessions. She engaged the children in a thoughtful discussion about the steps of writing a story. Presentations were used to bring out the animation in the turtles she talked about.

While, Gregory Hughes’s calm manner always enthralls the audience and that’s what happened at his session too. He talked about how it is not cool to write in a phine voice- a voice that is put on. According to him, flowery writing doesn’t really go down well with every reader and its best to write in your own voice.

Also, the session by John Dougherty -an Irish poet, singer and writer who uses humor to make children happy all around the world, had the children grasping the benefits of reading. He narrated his experiences with books and talked about the three books he has written about the Greek God Zeus. He impressed the audience with animated interaction while informing them about the process of writing a story.

The Amphitheatre was also live with useful and interactive sessions. Samhita Arni talked about her portrayal of Sita in her graphic novel. She explores the feminist issues underlying the Ramayana. While, Arjun Kaul- the vocalist and guitarist of the band Prithvi, interwove music and stories and played music that the children enjoyed immensely. He educated them about different characters from history and folktales. The audience also had a glimpse of his original work as he played a song from his album.

Besides, Campfire organized a puppet show called Puppet Pandemonium. It was an interesting interactive session that had the kids involved with the hand puppets that narrated the stories. The kids enjoyed the different voice over’s as the happy parents looked on.

And there were so many many more…the fun was totally enigmatic.

The right mix of content & illustrations

Writing for kids is not a child’s play. It requires the 3Ps – people, place and plot, tells Subhadra Sen Gupta, a well-known children books author. And we cannot deny the fact that a kid’s book is incomplete without illustrations. As Tapas Guha puts it, “Everything is so visual…just words make the books look scary for children.’ These two professionals have worked together as well as individually to create outstanding books for children. In conversation with Varsha Verma, they reveal what it takes to make a children book.Subhadra Sen Gupta is a well-known children books author, with over twenty-five books for children and adults, with Puffin, Rupa, Scholastic, HarperCollins, Pratham, India Book House and Ratna Sagar. Three of her books—A Clown for Tenali Rama, Jodha Bai and Twelve O’Clock Ghost Stories (Scholastic)—have won the White Raven Award at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

While, Tapas Guha is a self taught artist. He is a commerce postgraduate from Delhi University, who loves to draw…he followed his passion and is now a well-known illustrator for children books. He has worked with almost all the leading publishers of books, newspapers, magazines and a few ad agencies.

The duo have worked together to bring out many interesting books. They also work individually as well.

Journey so far…

Writing as a hobby and writing as a professional is very different – you have to make both ends meet and still have sufficient time to write what you like. “I just wanted to write, 'professionally' was just a dream. Had to make a living as an advertising copywriter for nearly two decades before I could become a full time writer and even today it is not easy,” tells Subhadra.

While, the journey for Tapas has been a mixed one, but mostly good. “After finishing my post graduation in commerce, I realized that I didn't want to continue with a career in commerce or accountancy. I also realized I can actually draw a lot better than lot of professional artists and since then chartered my career in art. I got a lot of support from the editors, publishers and most importantly the readers,” he told.

And, being a children author was no child’s play. “It was very difficult in the early years as publishers did not think there was a market for children's books. It is only in the last 7-8 years that children's writers are being taken seriously,” tells Subhadra.

Creating for children…

“When I write for children, I keep 3P's in mind - people, place, plot. Real and interesting characters, well drawn ambience and of course a plot that gets them reading. After that you can weave in important themes like tolerance or equality and they will think about it,” she tells.

“The hardest part about writing a book is coming up with an unusual idea and of course with kids the plot is paramount. You have to keep their minds engaged. Then creating real Indian kids who talk like they do. I have a series called Foxy Four for Young Zubaan about teenagers that requires a lot of listening and talking to kids,” shares Subhadra.

Here, tapas differs, “A lot of people can draw but to translate someone else's (writer's) idea with one's own creative input which is acceptable to everyone is difficult. And while drawing for children, I frankly don't keep any factor in mind. I draw whatever I think is right, may be because I never grew up (mentally)… it's easier for me to think like the kids.”

What comes first – the story or the illustrations?

“Most of the time - the story, except in comic strips where Tapas often has a better idea than me!, tells Subhadra.

Advice to aspiring writers/illustrators…

“Start early, in school if possible. Work on your language and write the way you speak and not use big words. Work on the plotting and that takes time. Read a lot and study the books you like. Writing brings pleasures you will get addicted to and believe me, this addiction is good,” advises Subhadra.

And Tapas adds, “There are no shortcuts for hard work! Talent is 50 percent, rest is your attitude!! Wrong attitude will get you nowhere inspite of your talent.”

On reading…

Reading is a wonderful habit and to inculcate reading habit in children, Subhadra advises “What you need is a big bookcase in the house and parents who take their kids to libraries and bookshops. After that reading comes naturally. Start by regular bed time reading - great stress buster for busy parents.”

“I don't blame the kids if they hate books, any kind of books! It's the result of overburdening them with text books...now books scare them! I think books with lots of attractive colour illustrations and good packaging will help. These days everything is so visual…just 'words' makes books scary!” adds Tapas.

Both Tapas and Subhadra are avid readers. Subhadra is currently reading a historical novel Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran about Selene. “My biggest influences are Bengali writers because I try to write about my land and my people and Bengali has a rich tradition of children's literature,” she adds.

“My all time favorite have been Ruskin Bond and Satyajit Ray. In comics, I think Herge's Tintin is way above the rest…I love the simplicity of story telling in all the above three. Right now, I am enjoying Roald Dahl's Someone like you... which is a bunch of weird stories,” quips Tapas.

On likes and dislikes…

“Take it easy....follow your heart. If you absolutely enjoy doing something, go for it. You can excel only in things which you enjoy doing the most. Money isn't the last word though it is important. I love listening to soft rock music, read funny books and watch funny movies...they keep me in positive frame of mind,” tells Tapas.

While, Subhadra walks a lot, is a serious listener and encourages people to talk to her, including auto drivers and vegetable sellers. But, her greatest unwinder is sitting in the sun reading a fat book with a bag of peanuts.

On upcoming books…

“I am working on an original comic along with dear friend Subhadra Sen Gupta. ..will let you know whenever it's finally done,” adds Tapas cheerfully.

Meanwhile, Subhadra is also working on a few books. “I am starting the next Foxy Four, while Puffin's Secret Diary of the World's Worst Cook is just out. Besides, there is a coffee table book on Fatehpur Sikri for Niyogi,” concludes Subhadra.