Meandering Down Memory Lane As My Third Book Is Released

The joy of releasing a book never grows old! The Magicians of Indrostan is my third published book and first self-published one. The release follows close on the heels of a recent interview , which two events nudged my thoughts on a short trip down memory lane.

One question I’ve encountered with some regularity, as a reader and as the mother of two readers, is: ‘How do you get your children to read?’ Alternatively: ‘How can I get my child to read?’ The answer is simple. Begin reading to them when they’re still drooling babies (keeping a cloth handy to wipe away the drool before it drips onto the book) and surround them with books as they grow older. It’s never too early to start! Have at least one bookshelf well-stocked with juicy literary goodies for your child to nibble at leisure.

A bookshelf of literary goodies

My childhood was a bookworm’s paradise, and I share with my children the immense enjoyment I felt growing up chomping away at books. Children’s fiction is one of my favourite genres, and I think it’s absolutely delightful to see children absorbed in a good book (it also gets them out of your hair). To know that they are off and away on flights of fancy – exploring distant lands or perhaps outwitting ogres, stowed away in a pirate ship or brewing magic potions – building a glorious imagination and experiencing innumerable adventures, all within the covers of a book. Be warned though, it comes with the side-effect of their temporary deafness! Similarly, the joy of writing for children and knowing that one’s stories are loved by children gives an unparalleled thrill. When I finally sat at my computer and wondered about the kind of book I should write, I knew it would be for children. The dilemma was in what genre of children’s fiction I should write, rather than whether I should write for children or for adults.

Start ’em young

Reading in the green balcony

My first book, Detective Gayatri Series, is a collection of four mysteries. Some people have asked me where I get ideas for my stories. Tiny bits of this book are certainly a reflection of my childhood – memories that surfaced and automatically translated to text as I typed. For example, Gayatri’s mother making halwa when Gayatri returns from school. My mother was, for some years, a teacher at a pre-school, and was always home when I returned from school. It was a matter of course for me to head to the kitchen and investigate the covered vessels on the kitchen platform (to the familiar ‘did you wash your hands?’).  Or Gayatri’s father making tea – something I have seen my father do many a time. Similarly, in The Magicians of Indrostan, the park with animal statues is a real park that my children have played in and the young protagonists’ reading sessions in the green balcony are taken from my children’s balcony reading sessions in an earlier apartment. On the other hand, the short stories in my second book, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Bathe and Other Stories, are pure imagination.

My first two books were published by Mango Books, the children’s imprint of Kerala-based DC Books. My latest book, The Magicians of Indrostan, is a fantasy novella and the genre didn’t fit Mango Books’ programme. I debated whether to do the round of publishers or bring it out myself. With the former, the manuscript could just keep going round and round for ages – no guarantee that it would be accepted immediately! Or I could opt for the latter and research self-publishing. The deciding factor was my daughter’s wish to be my illustrator, reiterated a number of times since the release of my first book. She has loved drawing since she was a toddler and, whenever asked what she’d like to be when she grows up, has always replied, ‘An artist’. As suggested by Juhi’s grandfather, self-publishing my book would give Juhi the thrill of being my illustrator and, when I broached it to her, she was over the moon! Yes, she is untrained (her only art class being a weekly one at school) but the family enjoys and hope you will too the natural creativity of a 10-year-old’s drawings.

Juhi drawing away

Which book did I enjoy writing the most? That would be The Magicians of Indrostan. I wrote it in two weeks, dedicating a few hours to it daily. More precisely, it wrote itself! The story, lurking in my head somewhere, just flowed onto the keyboard, surprising even me! It is my favourite of the three books, and I am now on its sequel, The Healer of Indrostan, which hopefully will be ready this year for my young readers.

To avail the Early Bird offer on the first 100 copies of ‘The Magicians of Indrostan’, send me a message and get a signed copy at a discounted Rs. 120/- with free shipping in India. Additional discount on bulk orders for return gifts!