Shaping young minds

Mona

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Growing up, reading was a favourite pastime for Samina Mishra. A noted author and documentary maker, Samina was in the tricity for a writing workshop at Dikshant International School, Zirakpur. The writer, filmmaker took time out post a fun, interactive session with kids to talk about books that have been close to her heart.

Significant firsts

“I started reading with a huge collection of books that our parents got us. The first favourite being a fairytale book I grew up on, which I shared with my son later. In fact, even my first published poem, which was in Target magazine, was inspired from a fairytale from that book. The first book I read on my own, at the age of six or seven, was about a dog and a cat — Bimbo and Topsy by Enid Blyton.”

Shades of grey

“The last book that I read was Queen of Ice by Devika Rangachari. A very well-written work, it’s aimed at young adults and children. I love the way she has made history come alive through this woman in grey shades who wants to be a queen. It’s about the rights and wrongs she does in her desire for power.”

Hungry for more

“I have finished writing a book, My Sweet Home, a collection of stories that I have written in collaboration with children. I have already done the first draft of a fiction, a story set in school.”

“Lots of matter is being published for children today. But, not all of it is reaching them. There still is this gap that needs to be bridged. Also, I wish there are more books for children from different times and backgrounds. We are such a complicated country, and need as many stories for kids as possible.”

To be heard...

“Documentaries are doing well today, but we need support. Filmmakers have worked very hard to take their stories to the audiences and today we have a distribution network. There is a variety of work and voices that need nurturing, so that our diversity can be expressed. And, that’s true not only for our country, but also the world.”

Lead by example

“If you want to inculcate the habit of reading in your kids, read yourself. Don’t force books on children, thinking this or that would do them good; let them pick up the books they want to read.”

mona@tribunemail.com