Once upon a time…

Mona

Chandigarh Children’s Literature Festival presents some famous writers, including Anushka Ravishankar to Chandigarh book lovers. Her name sure has put her in situations of mistaken identity—she was made to listen to musical programmes, interviewed as her namesake, the sitarist’s picture put next to her books! But then, these are trivial concerns as compared to what she, as a writer and publisher, has been addressing for more than two decades now.

Anushka turned to writing when she couldn’t find fun books for daughter. “There were hardly any fun books for children by Indian authors when I started, there are only a few still but it is the whole environment that’s undergone a sea change,” opens up Anushka, post her session at Kalagram.

“A thing like this was unthinkable some seven to eight years back. Now schools too are taking a pro-active approach to introduce children to reading and meeting authors.”

Since children literature in India was confined to mythology, folktales and moral issues, Anushka rebelled and wrote on contemporary themes, fun way. “I love writing complete nonsense, kids love to read it, and we have found this common space,” laughs Anushka.

Most of the current children writings are centered on the urban middle class and that’s troubling her. “In a workshop, I came across children from the economically weaker section and how they wrote about violence without even giving it a second thought disturbed me.” It’s about them and other voices that Anushka wants to bring out now…

Bringing a change

Mathangi Subramanian is all for stories of change! A Fulbrighter, Mathangi came to India on fellowship to get absorbed in its socio- cultural milieu. A teacher and policy analyst at New York City Council, this full-time writer now calls Bangalore her home. While mornings are reserved for writing, during the day she loves to wander around in her new city!

Dear Mrs Naidu, Bullying: The Ultimate Teen Guide and Little Snake Plays Hide and Seek are her three published books, and she is already on to her fourth. Dear Mrs Naidu is about 12-year- old Sarojini. Her best friend Amir moves out of the slum and stars going to a posh private school, leaving nothing common between them. The story talks of how Sarojini learns to fight- for her friendship, her family and her future. “If India must take something from America it should be public libraries and school system and certainly not McDonalds or KFC.”

Her next is about a domestic help locked in home and where she gets help to set free!

Reviving tradition

“Hum dastaane nahi sunte, daastane hamen chunti hain,” opens up Poonam Girdhani. Giving a new lease of life to Dastangoi, an art of storytelling that developed around the stories of valour and adventures of Amir Hamza, an Arab hero, a thousand years ago, Poonam Girdhani and Ankit Chadha chose to tell the story of Alice in traditional format to children!

Working in tandem with Mahmood Farooqui, who conceived the modern format of the art form, Poonam and Ankit are happy taking the tradition forward. A theatre and television person, Poonam knew the form for long before she found herself ready for it. “Loving your language and working with it and to be able to survive on it is no mean feat.”

For Ankit, the form being closest to street plays that he enjoyed in college, a workshop in Dastangoi became a game changer. “There are minimal requirements for Dastangoi — just your body, a mattress, some stories, your companion is your listener too,” says Ankit.

Having enjoyed the session with children they are happy that even if the audience are able to understand little, they thoroughly enjoy the sound and gist of Dastongi. “Catch them young. Children would not only be mature listeners but also take up Dastangoi as well,” signs off the duo who tells stories right from the Khusro and Kabir days to the corporate culture too!

The 2nd Chandigarh Children’s Literature Festival organised by Adab Foundation and Dikshant International School, Zirakpur is on till January 31 at Kalagram.

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