For the love of literature…

Literature is evergreen…meet Laure Leroy, directrice generale, Editions Zulma, France, who only publishes literature – some from French authors and others translations from all over the world.

We started Zulma in 1991 and it was in 2006 when it came into full swing. We only publish high level literature and we bring out 12 books a year, of which one-third are French literature and two-thirds are translations from all over the world in French language. Few literatures have been translated from languages like Farsi, Malayalam, Bengali, Tamil, Islamic, Portuguese, Brazil, Hebrew, Japanese, etc, shared Laure Leroy, directrice generale, Editions Zulma, France. In order to ensure that the quality of the books is high, she edits them herself. Besides, Zulma also publishes paperback collections from the last two years. “We publish eight titles a year, half from the backlist and half from other publishers,” she added.

Laure Leroy

So how does Laure selects a title for publishing? “I first read it myself and if I love it, I go ahead. It has to be well-written and there should be a real good story. We also take recommendations from the translators, as these are the people who have actually gone into the depths of the books. Besides, book fairs give an opportunity to buy rights and publishers recommendations are also considered,” she replied.

Laure particularly mentioned their bestselling title Rosa Candida for which they have sold 1,00,000 hardbound copies and 2,00,000 paperback copies. Other bestselling titles include Palestina by Hubert Habbard with 65,000 copies and Where the Tigers by Blas de Robles with 70,000 copies sold. Generally, they have a print run of 6,000-10,000 copies, which is then reprinted as per the demand. Coming to Indian authors, Zulma has published three titles each from revered authors Rabindranath Tagore and RK Narayanan. “India was always in my imagination and I wanted to see what is published in regional languages as India has a diverse culture and tradition.

And this diversity is important for rich literature. We hope to publish two collections of stories from Bashir and one from Tamil author Ambai,” she added. Adding more, Laure informed that one of their books has been translated in English for India – Opium Poppy by Hubert Habadda, published by Social Science Press. Talking about the cover design of the books, Laure revealed that they have a very specific design for their books, there are no images on the cover, just a design and the title details. The production quality is very good. “It is a literary object…a work of literature is a promotion in itself. We don’t even put our publisher logo on the cover,” she added.

On asking about the marketing efforts, she replied, “We create a buzz around the book a month to one year prior to its release. This is to create a demand. We want each book to be a success and hence we put in a lot of efforts to select the right title. We have links with 1,000 bookstores in France, of which we enjoy personal links with 400 bookstores.” Enquiring about the online vs offline sales of books, Laure replied that online sales are not much in France as the country has a Unique Price Law (1981), under which every book has to be sold at same price across various channels. “This is to preserve bookstores, both independent as well as chain stores,” she added.

With just a team of seven people, Laure shared that they are not competing with big publishers. “We have a niche of our own and are happy in our space,” she added. In totality, they have 140 titles from 20 different languages and more meaningful literatures will keep adding to their list.

–Varsha Verma

“Aim to write a book, readers would want to carry in their memories forever”

says Manjiri Prabhu, founder and director of Pune International Literary Festival and an author of several novels, in conversation with Varsha Verma.

Manjiri Prabhu has always tried to do something different in the literary world. While, she became the first author to pen down astro-detective novels, she also founded the Pune International Literary Festival (PILF) to celebrate the written word. Here, she talks more about her love for the literature.

Varsha: As founder and festival director of PILF, let us know about PILF and how it has been doing till now? What is the role of PILF in the literary world?

Manjiri: PILF has been started with the vision to engage, explore and experiment with all forms and genres of the written word that will inspire you to fall in love with them ...and light the lamp of knowledge. Now in its third year, more than 250 authors and creative personalities have participated in the last two years, making the festival a remarkable success. We have the mission to offer an exciting and interactive platform in Pune for writers, publishers, media, film & TV writers and readers and creating a star position for Pune on the international literary canvas.

From last year, as a social responsibility of PILF, we began highlighting an important social cause. Like in 2014, our social theme was ‘Environment Protection through Animal Welfare’ and our focus was on adoption of street dogs and save the tiger. Maneka Gandhi inaugurated the festival and did a one-hour session which was life-changing for some. This year, the theme is ‘The global image of India’. Every citizen should work towards upholding the core moral values of society, contribute to the social and environmental welfare of the country and be a global ambassador for India. This year’s social cause includes Safety, Security, Cleanliness, Tourism and Empowerment.

Varsha: When is the next PILF scheduled and what new can the visitors expect?

Manjiri: This year (2015) the festival will take place from September 4-6, 2015, at YASHADA. More than a hundred authors and creative personalities will participate and there would be discussions, workshops, and an interesting exhibition on the queen of Crime – Agatha Christie, in celebration of her 125th birth anniversary.

Few of the proposed authors will include Sudha Murthy, Rajdeep Sardesai, Shashi Tharoor, Ashok Chopra, Kathryn Hummel (Australia), Piers Moore Ede (UK), Neil Hollander (France). It will also include workshops on Ad-filmmaking by Ashmith Kunder, making very short films (of 3 to 5 minutes) - Siddhartha Jain, iPop TV, Haiku by Kala Ramesh, Writing for children (for Teens) by Leela Gour Broome, Reading Your Mind by Nakul Shenoy and many more….

Varsha: Astro-detective is a new concept. How did you come up with this new concept?

Manjiri Prabhu

Manjiri: For me the journey with Astrology began at a very early age. In my Mom’s stomach to be precise, like Abhimanyu. My Mom was the first lady Astrologer of Pune, way back when I wasn’t even born. She is a pioneer, a teacher, a consultant and the perfect ‘guide’ for the many frustrated, helpless people who sought some hope through Astrology. To them, she is the anchor, their support, affording them guidance, without losing sight of the Science. I almost took Astrology for granted for all the growing years of my life. But a striking incident changed the gravity of the Science for me. I particularly remember an occasion, which actually formed the base of my novel The Cosmic Clues and triggered a serial. My mother used to regularly look at horoscopes at that point. A film director from Bollywood, approached my mother. He said it was very urgent and he needed to consult my mother privately. My mother, despite being busy, agreed. When he visited her, he asked a single question: “When will I have a child?”

My Mother stared at his horoscope for a long minute. Finally she glanced at him and said, “You want the truth?” The man was a little nonplussed. ‘Of course!” he said. “Well then, you have a son. It’s just that you can’t claim him as your son,” she explained calmly.

It was as if a bomb had been dropped. The man paled, his eyes darted from one end of the room to another. He was afraid, someone may have listened. But then, he nodded and confessed that she was right.

This incident made me realise that Astrology is a tool unlike any other. With a totally untapped potential, it had to be exploited in the right manner – especially in solving a crime.

And that is how I used it as a crime-solving tool in The Cosmic Clues and The Astral Alibi. Sonia Samarth (the main character in the book) is the world’s first Astro-Detective, thanks to my mother, who provided me with the best of authentic horoscopes for the novels.

Varsha: Also tell us about your other books?

Manjiri: I have written eight books including one non-fiction book on the image of Indian woman in Hindi films. That is a conversion of my Ph.D. thesis on the same subject. My first two novels published by Rupa Books, titled A Symphony of Hearts and Silver In The Mist were romantic novelettes in the Rupa romance Series. The book on Hindi film is titled Roles- Reel and Real.

My next books are – Gypsies at Noelle’s Retreat a book for YA (Young Adult) audience, based in France, published by Times Group Books.

It introduces India’s first teen girl detective Riva Parkar. It is the first one in the Riva Parkar mystery series. I am working on the second in the series titled Gypsies on the Eurail. The Cavansite Conspiracy – a romantic suspense novel published again by Rupa. The story taking place in 48 hours simultaneously in four continents, revolves around a precious mineral stone being stolen and a murder connected to that.

In the Shadow of Inheritance has been published by Penguin India. Actually this is the first novel I wrote at the age of 18. The story is very dear to my heart. It is receiving very good response all over India.

Varsha: What has been the response to your books so far?

Manjiri: Pretty good. I get emails from all over India and from all corners of the world. Especially as the two astro-detective novels were published in the US and distributed worldwide, I have readers in many unimaginable and unknown places. They send their candid remarks and appreciations to my stories wi thin the novels. They also like the Indian milieu, descriptions of Indian culture, food, festivals, lifestyle and all.

Along with mystery I think love for Astrology is the common bonding factor for all my readers across the globe. For my other books published in India, I get similar responses and frank opinions as well. I like it when readers get involved in my writing and spare time to respond personally. It boosts my morale to write more, to write better and to give them something they like.

But to admit frankly, most of the popularity today at least in the publishing industry is an outcome of hard-hitting, well-targeted and professionally managed marketing strategy. I fall very short in all this and don’t ever think I can be a part of it.

Varsha: Describe your journey as an author and what are your future plans?

Manjiri: I have always wanted to be a writer since my early childhood. I grew up reading Enid Blyton and later Agatha Christie and many others. At some point, I even imagined myself as Enid Blyton reborn, till I came to know that she was still there when I was born!! I wrote my first story at the age of seven, though I was first published as late as in 1994. I feel that I don’t create my books but every book that I write creates me anew. I learn a lot about myself, life and the world around us through the process of writing and creating imaginary characters.

I am very happy when readers connect with my thoughts, my characters and plots and sail smoothly through them. I enjoy this process of creating memories in others minds and think that’s what a writer and a creative person does. I plan to continue it with writing as many books as I can. Already I have completed two novels and both are very unique in their subject and approach. The first one is titled ‘Snowflakes in Summer’. It is a futuristic fantasy and takes place in a world, centuries from now.

The second one is titled The Trail of four. It is based in Salzburg, Austria and is again an international mystery story.

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

Manjiri: To write a good book…a reader would want to carry in their hearts and memories forever.

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

Manjiri: Firstly, to actually begin writing the novel, then to create believable characters and finally to end it in a unique manner for the readers to remember it forever. The second challenge is to devote time to it, without falling prey to other distractions, since writing is a solitary process. And thirdly, the most difficult part, according to me is getting it published. Honestly, writing a book is a lot easier than getting it published. Almost everyone wants to write these days and try their hand at it, but very few get published and fewer get recognition. I feel blessed that I am one of those chosen ones.

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

Manjiri: Write from your heart, write what you want to read but can’t find in the market, write because your heart tells you to, not your head...just write!

Era of Apps!!

Mobile apps are becoming very popular as people are increasingly using it for finding information, buying products/services or just for entertainment. Here, Varsha Verma finds out how mobile apps work for book and newspaper publishers.The app era is upon us. Growth of smartphones with mobile data has made it easy for users to access information on their mobile phones.

Mobile apps...an obvious
step ahead for publishers

A decade ago, print was the defacto medium for newspapers. Even while ePapers and website readerships were growing, today there is a huge amount of traffic from Smartphones. A study by The Economist Group shows that 62 percent of smartphone users use their device for news. Mobile reading is on the rise. “In such a scenario, it is important for publishers of both newspapers as well as magazines to have their mobile apps,” tells Sanjaya Gupta of 4Cplus (Internet) Company Ltd. In an emerging information and knowledge driven world, 4Cplus aspires to help businesses to use "Information Technology" to enhance productivity, bring about transparency, customer satisfaction and streamline workflows.4Cplus is working for some of the best newspaper publishers in India as well as overseas. In fact, their revenues from foreign and Indian publishers is almost 50:50.

Publishers want to increase readership. “What better way to gain reader loyalty than with an app, one of the most personal items… their smartphone,” adds Akal Sujlana of Clavis Technologies. “We’ve created apps for e-commerce, digital publishing, enterprises, education, government and social media. With our affiliates, we’ve made over 900 apps for many verticals. For the book industry, TABiT Books is one such app that gives publishers their personal eStore, eReader, Apps on iOS and Android – creating a personal connect with readers while strengthening their brand value,” tells Akal.

What works?

Sanjaya Gupta

“There are two kinds of mobile apps that are getting popular – news mobile apps and vertical mobile apps. Of these, vertical mobile apps are more popular as they are specific to a particular industry/segment. Youngsters wish to read specific news like sports, fashion, etc on mobile rather than general news. People prefer newspaper for general news items,” tells Sanjaya.

“Innovation is the key...non-news items on the website and apps, which give a different flavour are attracting people,” he adds. When it comes to app development that includes an eStore, eReader and DRM, very few companies are doing white label native apps in India.”Many smaller players have folded up as there is lot of competition at the market front,” adds Sanjaya.

Alternate revenue model

Recently a report in the Hindu showed that 41 percent of all online sales take place via phones. “Apps give a better user experience that let readers buy books and content on their phones. While many Indian publishers are toying with the idea of having their own apps, mature markets already have proven trends with in-app purchase of books on phones and tablets,” tells Akal. Besides, publishers can earn through advertisements on these apps. “Bigger publishing houses have created their own advertising teams and getting ads directly from the advertisers. This is a good revenue model. One just needs to do profiling of readers directly to get ads,” adds Sanjaya.

Managing apps...

Akal Sujlana

Creation of an app is not enough. You have to maintain and update it with the times just like a website. “Some of the newspaper publishers manage the content themselves, while a few prefer to have the service provider do it. For those publishers, we tie up with news agencies like PTI/ANI and upload relevant content periodically,” shares Sanjaya.

Talking about the book publishers, Akal shares, “Once an app is live, that’s when marketing begins. Driving traffic to the app, getting your loyal users to download it and then serving promotions which will entice them to buy and read e-books. Apps need to be dynamic so you submit and display new e-books regularly without having to download a fresh app each time. Regular maintenance, bug fixing, improving user experience is an ongoing activity.”

Technology...

Platforms in the market include Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, Microsoft’s Windows and Blackberry’s RIM. Each vendor has their own coding platform. “So from a development perspective, you need to have a separate iOS developer (who codes in C or SWIFT), Android developer (who codes in Java), and Windows developer (who has many options like C++, C#, VB, JS),” tells Akal.

While, Sanjaya says that at the end of each platform is the XML feeds which works.

Challenges....

Creating mobile apps for different platforms with a solid backend takes time and effort. “One challenge is that customers feel it’s as easy as making a website till they are educated about the details of what all goes into an app. A quick monetisation from apps is another challenge. Book publisher feel that they need to see immediate results. Changing that perspective to make them look at a five year plan takes quite a bit of effort,” tells Akal.

While, Sanjaya adds, “There are a number of devices. Hence, we need to test an app on atleast six android versions and different sizes of screens. Besides, in most cases, the top brass of the company sports the latest mobile and we need to test our app on the same as well, which is an expensive proposition.”

Talking more about challenges, Sanjaya shares, “There is lot of competition in the market and it is difficult to get projects. Smaller players can develop apps at low costs, therefore the project costs are coming down.”

Future of mobile apps...

Today the average person spends more than two hours a day on their smartphones. Just like various devices and entertainment factors have been fighting for your time, apps fight for your time since that is where you will be spending most of your time in the coming years. “Other than the commonly used apps like Facebook, Google Maps, Whatsapps and YouTube, users have apps that grab their interest in terms of personal utility. So there will always a good population that will use reader apps – especially with the growing e-book trend,” tells Akal.

“But, smaller players will die or there will be aggregators who will aggregate the content from various apps and present it to the user. This is because users will not download 100 apps on their mobile; they will just use the ones they like. Hence, the smaller players will vanish,” adds Sanjaya as a matter of fact.

On a concluding note...

As an industry, unlike newspaper and magazines, the book publishers in India are yet to get on the bandwagon of having their personal apps. “There is a stronger education required on the potential of mobile e-book reading. But over the next few years, we expect this market to grow. The first mover advantage will always be there in 2015. With rapid changing technology trends, you never know when the strongest of publishers becomes a dinosaur!” tells Akal.

“It is important for publishers to understand that Indian IT is at par with foreign counterparts and companies like 4Cplus have made their mark in foreign territories as well. So, its time they can actually look at solutions from the Indian IT companies,” concludes Sanjaya.

Variety Book Depot marks its presence in Daryaganj

“There is scope for more bookshops in the country,” tells Om Arora of Variety Book Depot, in conversation with ABP editors SK Khurana and Varsha Verma, on the eve of opening their new showroom on main Ansari Road in Daryaganj (New Delhi), the great hub of publishing industry in India.We want to make it a happening place and offer discounts or freebies to our customers, told Om Arora of Variety Book Depot, who has recently opened a swanky new showroom in Daryaganj, New Delhi. Spread over an area of 5,000 sq ft, with more than 11,000 titles on display, the showroom is indeed a book paradise. This is the second showroom of the company, the first being in Connaught Place (CP), New Delhi. This 2,800 sq ft facility in CP also houses all the titles the company represents. The display of books at Daryaganj facility is well organised as books are displayed as per the genre like children, self-help, fiction, general, cookery, coffee table books, interiors, fashion, etc. "Besides, for some publishers like Taschen we have a separate display area. We have 300 different titles from Taschen, which are exclusively displayed in an area of 180 sq ft,” told Om.

“We stock books of almost all publishers in the trade books. We are exclusive distributors for various publishers like Archie Comics, Mills & Boon, etc. We get all kinds of customers, the majority being bookshop owners from all parts of the country. In fact, we provide service to publishers as well as booksellers,” he said, adding, “On an average, we have a target to get around 50 booksellers to visit our new showroom in a day. Our prices shall remain same for both retail as well as wholesale customers.”

The staff at the new showroom is young and well versed with the books on display. They can even help the visitors in recommending books suiting their interest. "As a newer initiative, the showroom will bring in one publisher every month to promote their books, wherein it will get an exclusive space in our showroom for a month. Currently we are promoting HarperCollins titles and next month, we will give special display to Parragon Publishing,” told Om.

On asking about Indian vs foreign publishers in trade books, Om replied that 75 percent of market share is with the foreign publishers as they invest and plan very systematically. He feels that it is a good sign that multinational publishers are opening up their offices in India which is giving a boost to the industry. Though, Indian publishers like Rupa & Co are also making a mark for itself.

“There is a scope for growth in the industry but I am
disappointed that children are not encouraged to read. This is
not a healthy trend and parents should take the responsibility
to inculcate reading habits in their children,” conveys Om
Arora of Variety Book Depot.

Talking on the trends of new generation Indian authors in trade books, Om shared that since half of the Indian population is below 45 years, these authors connect to this segment of readers instantly as they use the same language they talk in day-today life. “Nevertheless, it is a good trend and every book has something to give and there remains some literary value in every book,” he said.

In a time when so many bookshops are shutting down, it is indeed a welcome change to see such bookshops of repute opening newer showrooms. Talking about this trend, Om shared that since the prices of real estate has shot up and younger generation not wanting to continue with the book trade, an alternate activity can get them a better return out of their real estate. Commenting upon the ‘online’ book sales affecting bookshops operations, Om adds that online bookshops cannot be solely blamed for the same because these have been getting affected only in metro cities.

“In fact, bookshops space has increased in the last 20 years with chains of bookstores like Crossword, Landmark, etc opening newer outlets. I feel for sure there is still a scope for more bookshops in our country,” he stressed.

So, are there more Variety Book Depot’s showrooms on the cards? “No, we would like to concentrate on these two outlets. We have distributors in every city and so we do not need separate showrooms. Delhi is the hub for all publishing activities and our presence here is enough,” came a quick concluding reply from Om.

“It is very important to have a command over the medium you write”

says TR Bhanot, an acclaimed children books author, in conversation with Varsha Verma. 

Well-known children book author TR Bhanot’s main USP is script and correct English. Hailing from a family of farmers in Punjab, Bhanot is a self-made man. He has done post graduation in English and has done honours in Physics, Maths and Urdu. He is former head of language department at Air force School in Delhi. He has worked for publishers like Arya Book Depot, Children Book Trust, Scholar Publishing House, Frank Bros and Dreamland Publications. 

On languages… 

T R Bhanot

“English Grammar is my favourite subject,” he says. “I authored a set of English Grammar books in late 80s which are still prescribed as textbooks in north-east states.” Bhanot also writes in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi. He also knows Sanskrit and Persian but does not have good writing capability in these languages. “Overall, I have authored 1000+ titles till now. Of these, 100 were authored while I was myself a student. I have confidence on my abilities and work on ethics,” he tells. He also writes Urdu Ghazals and checks PhD theses from various universities for language correction. 

Association with Dreamland… 

Talking about his association with Dreamland, Bhanot shares that he joined Dreamland in 1986 and has authored around 500 titles for them. “This is like my second home. All my needs are fulfilled with honour and respect and I work here without any tension in my mind,” he shares.

“Eighteen years back, when computer was introduced, Bhanot authored a set of eight computer books of 48 pages each, without any prior knowledge of computers and these books were bestsellers at that time,” adds Ved Chawla of Dreamland Publications. 

On subjects… 

Though Mathematics, Science and English are his favourite subjects, he also loves to write fiction and religious books. “I have authored Krishan Leela, Mahabharata, Panchtantra, etc after studying old text in Sanskrit. These were written on demand from Indians abroad who wish to know more about their civilization. But, it was not easy. Since I have a scientific mind, I got stuck at many points where facts and analysis did not match. So, I researched it further so that I put across facts that deem logical,” he shares. “When I write, it is logical. My next sentence takes birth from the previous sentence.” 

On academic books… 

Bhanot is seriously concerned about the quality of educational books available today. “Many publishers get content compiled from multiple sources and present it in the form of a book, which is not right. I have also seen publishers who limit the authors with the number of pages. In such a scenario, the quality of the books suffers,” he points out. 

Another very important thing he feels is that whatever subject one writes, one needs to have a command of the language that is the medium of the particular book. “Last but not the least, everything should be logical,” he says. 

On success… 

A God-fearing person, Bhanot attributes all his success to God and as he puts it, “I am a play thing in the hands of destiny. I owe all my success to Goddess Saraswati.” 

Adding further, he says, “The credit for my English language base goes to my Muslim headmaster Maulvi Mohd Iqbal Hussain, who I remember even today. Many heroes die unsung, but I am fortunate to have found a strong foothold at Dremland Publications, which has helped my name spread all over.” 

Making of an Award-winning book!

Shals and Shreya share how they came up with the award-winning book Timmi in Tangles in conversation with Varsha Verma.Timmi in Tangles is about this young girl Timmi and her world, which includes her home, the neighbourhood and her school, and the adults and friends in her life. Two of her closest friends are Juju the giant, and Idliamma, who loves idlis, stories and trouble. The closest adults are Amma, Timmi's mother, and Kamal Mausi, who takes care of her and the household. The book was recently in news for winning the Kotak Junior Children Writing Award.

Shals Mahajan and Shreya Sen

The author Shals (also, Shalini) Mahajan has recently realised that publishing is not life-threatening and writing can continue in the hereafter. Ze is thus pursuing talking to trees and cats in between brief bouts of writing and other necessities. Ze has studied English Literature and is also a queer feminist activist and researcher.

While, the illustrator Shreya spends most of her time contemplating about all the world changing things she can do. But most of them stay in her head, and sometimes she can’t even speak. Human beings, fairy lights, news papers and watermelons, amuse her.

Other than that she studied animation and film design from NID. Currently she is working as a full time graphic designer. Here, Shals and Shreya talk about their recently awarded book Timmi in Tangles and more.

Varsha (ABP): What was your reaction to being awarded at Crossword Awards?

Shals: Timmi is a delightful and imaginative person and I have been entranced with her world since I first met her in my stories almost fifteen years ago. I was, of course, quite delighted and happy to get the award, and more so since it means my love for Timmi and her world is shared by others as well.

Shreya: I fell in love with the script the moment Anushka handed it over to me. I was supposed to read just a page. But I spent the entire night reading it. Just couldn’t stop myself it was so good. When we won, I called up Shals and she said, “Dude we have won”.

I was like, “Yay!”

Varsha: Describe your journey as a children author/ illustrator so far? In what languages do you write? Shals: I write in English.

There is not much I can say about my journey as a writer for children, because I have not, so far, really sat down to write saying, “Okay, this will be for children.” I write about characters and people I fall in love with in my head and see where they take me.

Shreya: Its’ been great and really satisfying, right from my internship in Tulika and up till now. All the people that I have come across and the response that I have received from people have been very great.

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

Shals: I began writing when I was in my teens as a way to deal with things jumbling about at superspeed inside my head and am glad that I have continued with it. I am not sure that I write “professionally” since it is not what pays my bills, but yes, over the last two decades, I have learned to give more space to myself as a writer and be comfortable with it.

Shreya: I realised that this is one thing that I loved doing. In spite of full time jobs I always found out ways of illustrating.

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

Shals: I guess that would be the writing of it. The way it works for me is that till I actually write it down, I do not know what will happen next. So the suspense adds to the frustration and to top it off, I am an excruciatingly slow writer.

Shreya : Sometimes catching up to what works for the publisher is demanding. More than anything I have understood it’s very important to understand who you are doing the book for- the writer, publisher and the reader. If you can crack this well then everything falls into place.

Varsha: What factors are kept in mind while writing for children?

Shals: For me it is only about the people in the story and staying true to them.

Shreya: To depict the story well and always try to go a little beyond the words.

Varsha: What comes first - the illustrations or the story?

Shals: In this case it was the story for sure. Then the publishers searched for an illustrator who would be able to capture Timmi and her world without making it something other than what it is. And Shreya came in and loved the stories. After that it was a long wonderful collaboration between Shreya, Anushka and me till we all were happy with each of the illustrations.

Shreya: Both happen together I guess.

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

Shals: I do not think that I qualify to give any such advice. I can only say that I decided to begin publishing only after I turned forty though I have been writing for more than two decades.

Shreya: Don’t be scared of what might work and what may not work. Do things from your heart and it will be conveyed to another heart. Don’t be too disheartened because some day people will understand you!

Varsha: 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? Shals: Try it out – there is a large world waiting to be explored, many adventures to be had, many friends to be made, and all this without the interference of adults. Shreya: Read as many books as you can. You and I might read the same book but we will definitely find different stories in them.

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

Shals: This year it is a work of non-fiction on understanding and living gender differently, that I have co-authored with three of my friends and colleagues. There are a couple of novels and stories that I am working on but since I am still writing them, it is rather difficult to say when they will be out.

Shreya: One for Tulika!

Book on parenting with a difference!

 Author Shunali Khullar Shroff, in conversation with Varsha Verma, reveals the realities of a parent in today’s ultramodern, supersonic, and chaotic world in her debut book titled Battle Hymn of a Bewildered Mother.As much with life, parenting in the new millennium does not come with an instruction manual. If you happen to be a girl about town, a super successful career woman, a must-live-each-day-as-it-comes kind of person, impending motherhood can be as imposing as a trip to outer space without an oxygen mask. Battle Hymn of a Bewildered Mother isn’t just another run-of-the-mill parenting book, in fact it is opposite of everything you know. 

Shunali Khullar Shroff

“Well, this book is not for someone who is looking for an insight into raising a perfect family. There are books that fill you with self-doubt and there are books that reassure you. My book aims to achieve the latter. It aims to assuage your guilt and feelings of inadequacy as a parent by drawing attention to the fact that you are not the only one struggling to fit into the stereotyped image of a good mother/father and thus it encourages you to embrace your inner goof with ease,” tells Shunali Khullar Shroff, author of Battle Hymn of a Bewildered Mother begins her journey as someone chronically devoid of what is naturally termed as the maternal instinct. But in spite of her misgivings, she eventually realises there is nothing else she’d rather be doing than burping her babies while avoiding all traces of tranquilisers. This brilliant, whimsical, bumpy tale of everyday madness has a voice of a mother both honest and hilarious. 

It aims to assuage your guilt and feelings of inadequacy as a parent by drawing attention to the fact that you are not the only one struggling to fit into the stereotyped image of a good mother/father and thus it encourages you to embrace your inner goof with ease.
From exchanging her corporate suits for messretardant mommy wear, from balancing work clients to battling two girls’ questions and demands, this book is a journey of a mother constantly walking on thin ice over the Bermuda Triangle. Based on the principles of lunacy and humour, Shunali Khullar Shroff reveals the realities of a parent in today’s ultramodern, supersonic, and chaotic world. 

Response so far... 

On asking about the response to the book so far, Shunali replies, “As a first time author, I wasn’t expecting trumpets and bugles but am surprised by the number of people who have enjoyed the book. Some of these are the followers of my blog but most of them are people I do not know who have heard about the book by word of mouth. I am pretty overwhelmed by the kind of wonderful feedback that is coming my way by means of e-mails and social media.” How the book 

came up... 

“There was a lifetime’s gap between my days as a journalist and a blogger. I took to PR and then raising my own two children during those years. Then I took to blogging a few years ago. It was instant gratification because people read and responded right away. A friend whose opinion I value used to read my blog regularly and she suggested I put together a book about raising two children, and more specifically two girls in this century. This world is very different than the one I grew up in. We had normal childhoods which did not include gadgets, poor language, zero physical activity and Justin Bieber. I write about a lot of things on my blog, parenting was just one of them but I decided to take a stab at it and that’s how the book came about,” she shares. 

“It took me a year to put it together with some unwelcome interruptions. Then a few months to clean it up. Once the manuscript was completed, I sent it to several publishers directly, without an introduction, merely with the help of addresses on their websites. I heard back from three of them in quick succession. When I spoke to Ashok Chopra, MD, Hay House, a publishing veteran and an author himself, I got the feeling that he truly believed in my writing and decided to go ahead with them,” shares Shunali. 

Nothing like writing... 

“Anais Nin famously said that we write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect. I write because there is nothing to do better with my time than reading or writing. It makes me feel like me. 

I have an insatiable appetite for reading and as a writer my desire remain to be honest and occasionally amusing because I like to read books that amuse me and make me think at the same time. When I start writing, it is like starting on an exciting adventure as one never knows with clarity how it is going to end up sharing and sometime bringing me a surprise too. But yes, the first line is crucial to the rest of the chapter and even the book and one instinctively knows when that line is not working,” tells Shunali. 

Hardest part of writing a book... 

“In my case the hardest part is getting started. It is true for almost all writers, from what I read and hear. For me the other challenge for my book, being a hands on mum, was to set that time aside for writing without the cacophony of my children and the rest of my household. I know of author friends, who shift to Goa or a cottage on a hill for months to be able to produce prodigious works. As a mother of small children, I do not have that option. I also lack self discipline as a writer, which is such a pity because if I was the kind of person who could rise at five am to write, I might have written half a dozen books by now,” she laughs. 

Advice to debutant authors... 

“Read, read, read...every single day. And keep a diary. Don’t be in a hurry to get published, be sure of your work first. If it does not fancy you, it will fancy no one else. The other thing I want to say is that you are never too old to start writing,” suggests Shunali. 

Books are the best... 

In this digital age, where do books stand? “I am deeply concerned about how gadgets, though they are marvelous inventions and improve our lives in many ways, are also doing irredeemable damage to this generation. With these gadgets, youngsters are all likely to develop cervical and psychological problems in due course. I would say that books will help you understand life and human nature better than any game, app or television show. 

WhatsApp and FB will not build your character the way books will. Imagine all the places you can travel to and all the lives you can lead through reading? This is something I say to my own children all the time,” concludes Shunali.