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The WRITER-Mother

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  • Roald Dahl Row: Should Children's Books That Reinforce Sexist, Racist Stereotypes Be Censored?Roald Dahl Row: Should Children's Books That Reinforce Sexist, Racist Stereotypes Be Censored?

    Roald Dahl Row: Should Children's Books That Reinforce Sexist, Racist Stereotypes Be Censored?

    There's been much debate over the rewriting of a number of Roald Dahl's books this past week, with everyone from Salman Rushdie to Philip Pullman to PEN America weighing in on the matter.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • 2499564524995645

    24995645

    Earlier this week, my father announced on our family WhatsApp group, that he had surrendered our landline number of over 30 years.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • Unlocking Ideas: A creative workshop Unlocking Ideas: A creative workshop

    Unlocking Ideas: A creative workshop

    * Want to start a creative writing project but need help getting started? * Having a creative slump with your writing? * Looking for a safe space to write and share with others without any pressure?* Want to do something creative that’s totally unrelated to your day job?

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • Book Pairings: The Secret World of Mehlli Gobhai + The Tree Book and The Body Book  Book Pairings: The Secret World of Mehlli Gobhai + The Tree Book and The Body Book

    Book Pairings: The Secret World of Mehlli Gobhai + The Tree Book and The Body Book

    ​Mehlli Gobhai (1931-2018) was a painter and illustrator who trained at The Royal College of Art, London, The Pratt Graphic Centre and the Art Students League, New York.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • In conversation with illustrator Pankaj Saikia.In conversation with illustrator Pankaj Saikia.

    In conversation with illustrator Pankaj Saikia.

    I've been interviewing illustrators these past few months for a series of stories for The Hindu Sunday Magazine. The interviews are fairly in-depth and sadly, I can't include everything I want to in the final story (damn these word counts!). So, I thought I'd start sharing the interviews here for those interested in knowing more.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • Book pairings:  Silence by Thich That Hanh and Frederick by Leo LionniBook pairings:  Silence by Thich That Hanh and Frederick by Leo Lionni

    Book pairings: Silence by Thich That Hanh and Frederick by Leo Lionni

    Silence by the Buddhist monk Thich That Hanh is one of those books you read and it all seems so simple, so obvious, so doable. Of course if I slowed down and silenced the voices that chattered away in my mind I'd be a happier person. If I practiced mindfulness, nourishment and silence things would be better. It's one of those deceptively simple books which you read and feel certain that today is the day you will put these ideals into practice and begin anew. And then of course you pick up your phone and doom scroll or hate scroll or whatever kind of scroll it is you do. Well, at least that's what I did. But I kept returning to read small passages of the books in moments of overwhelm and found comfort and felt hope.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • Picture book chat #2: Biblioburro by Jeannete Winter.Picture book chat #2: Biblioburro by Jeannete Winter.

    Picture book chat #2: Biblioburro by Jeannete Winter.

    This time around, we decided to talk about a picture book biography that we adore, while also wondering if we like it a little extra because we’ve both been working in the children’s books space for a while now. Inspired by a true story, Biblioburro by Jeanette Winter is the story of Luis Suriano, a teacher in Colombia, who took books to children who have no access to a library. On his burros, Alfa and Beto.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • In The Land Where Beetles RuleIn The Land Where Beetles Rule

    In The Land Where Beetles Rule

    When I read 'In The Land Where Beetles Rule' by Suniti Namjoshi and illustrated by Krishna Bala Shenoi (Pratham Books), the words of global activist Kumi Naidoo from a recent episode of The Subverse podcast came to mind "The planet does not need saving. If we continue on the path that we are on, we will be gone. The planet will still be here."

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • The Great Escape.The Great Escape.

    The Great Escape.

    When I was in class 6 I joined a new school. I stuck out a fair bit with my short hair ( boy cut) and the Bermuda shorts and t-shirts I wore to school while I waited for my uniforms to get stitched. It was an all girls school and I was often asked if I was a boy. Where I was from. And what I was doing there.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • Writing podcasts I loveWriting podcasts I love

    Writing podcasts I love

    I don't know about you, but as a writer, I am insanely curious about how other writers write. I love to know about their routines, rituals, how they balance writing with day jobs, how they handle rewrites, how long it takes them to write a draft, what kind of tea they drink and any other morsel of information they're happy to share.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • The Rabbit Listened by Cori DoerrfeldThe Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

    The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

    My friend Yamini and I talk about picture books a lot, and this time, we didn’t want to be restricted by what it means for children and how they might see it. As adults who take picture books seriously (and children’s book authors), we also wanted to chat freely about why we love something, or don’t. We wanted to share our conversations as they normally are, without overthinking things (or over-editing it). One of us has two children and the other has none, but the reason we turn to picture books is really for ourselves—for its beauty, wisdom and brilliant humour. 

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • The Red Tree by Shaun TanThe Red Tree by Shaun Tan

    The Red Tree by Shaun Tan

    Today morning, after the kids had left for school and I'd walked the dog and had a second cup of coffee, I sat down feeling... deflated. I tried doing some breathing exercises in the hope that I'd feel a bit better ('inflated?'), but that didn't work either.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • A Birthday Present for AajiA Birthday Present for Aaji

    A Birthday Present for Aaji

    So, I thought I'd do a summer theme and review some children's books, but I guess that's not happening. It isn't my fault okay? Parinita Shetty and Aindri C.'s new Hook Book 'A Birthday Present for Aaji' is entirely to blame.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • Summer themes, Summer reads, part 1: Paati Vs UNCLE by Meera GanapathySummer themes, Summer reads, part 1: Paati Vs UNCLE by Meera Ganapathy

    Summer themes, Summer reads, part 1: Paati Vs UNCLE by Meera Ganapathy

    After two years of summers spent in lockdowns, misery and grief, it seems like the summer of 2022 might be ok. I say this cautiously and with all my fingers and toes crossed. I'm hoping to review a bunch of fun, summer reads for children over the next few weeks. Up first is Meera Ganapathy and Parmita Mukherjee's book, published by Puffin India.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • Help! My Aai Wants to Eat Me!Help! My Aai Wants to Eat Me!

    Help! My Aai Wants to Eat Me!

    Parents, beware of the things you say to your children in a fit of love and adoration! You can't be sure how they'll interpret your words.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • Picture books to read on Ambedkar Jayanti Picture books to read on Ambedkar Jayanti

    Picture books to read on Ambedkar Jayanti

    When I was in school, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was accorded one paragraph in our history textbooks. He was the Father of the Indian Constitution and India's first Law and Justice minister. There was no mention of the fact that he was 'a visionary, an economist, a revolutionary and a lifelong reader.'

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • What rhymes with International Poetry Day?What rhymes with International Poetry Day?

    What rhymes with International Poetry Day?

    Here's a fun fact: when I was in grade 2 or 3, I used to love memorising (or learning by-heart as we used to say) poems from Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes. And then, when my father would bring home colleagues for dinner, I would insist that I recite them a poem before they sat down to eat. No one needed to coax or encourage me at all. I would insist on being heard.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • And the moral of the story is...And the moral of the story is...

    And the moral of the story is...

    A few years ago I was in Majuli, a river island in the Brahmaputra, Assam. I had travelled their with a small film crew to capture how a set of STEM books published by Pratham Books, a non-profit, multilingual children's books publishing house were being used by teachers in two schools to help students learn STEM concepts and foster a sense of curiosity in their minds.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • Picture books for grown ups!Picture books for grown ups!

    Picture books for grown ups!

    We are both drawn to picture books that have slightly strange and whimsical art, but also ones that are unafraid to explore darker themes, and offer new perspectives with wit and originality. Here is a bunch that we hold really close:

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother
  • Our favourite books part VI - books for young adultsOur favourite books part VI - books for young adults

    Our favourite books part VI - books for young adults

    Perhaps YA author Julie Murphy said it best: Young Adult books give teens and pre-teens a safe space to learn about very real and important situations. Some of our favourite books for this age group address self-acceptance, grief, sexuality, climate change and systemic greed.

    The WRITER-Mother
    The WRITER-Mother