In an unique interview with TOI Books, Surpriya Kelkar tells us extra about her newest e book ‘Robust as Fireplace, Fierce as Flame’, what motivates her to put in writing kids’s books, her favorite authors and extra. Excerpts:
1. What made you select to put in writing for youths?
I’ve at all times been drawn to tales for youths. Even the scripts I’ve written by myself, not for a manufacturing firm, have been kids’s movies. I believe as a result of I by no means grew up attending to see my story in an American e book or TV present or film, it took me years to comprehend my story was essential too and deserved to be instructed. That is one of many causes I like to put in writing for youths, so each baby is aware of simply how essential their story is, and that they matter, and may really feel seen.
2. What was the thought behind writing ‘Robust as Fireplace, Fierce as Flame’?
‘Robust as Fireplace, Fierce as Flame’ is the story of Meera, a 12-year-old baby bride who escapes the life she has no say in, solely to finish up a servant for a high-ranking officer within the British East India firm. When the flames of revolt come to city, Meera should resolve whether or not to proceed her lifetime of relative security or threat every part to struggle again in opposition to her native oppressors and her British colonizers.
I obtained the thought for ‘Robust as Fireplace, Fierce as Flame’ once I thought again to my childhood in America within the 1980s and 1990s, once I by no means obtained to see anybody who regarded like me in a e book, TV present, film, industrial, retailer catalogues, and even in unsolicited mail commercial. I assumed again to how I felt in the future when one among my elementary faculty academics began studying ‘The Secret Backyard’ to our class. I out of the blue sat up a little bit taller, recognizing Indian folks in a e book, finally! However then I rapidly realized the Indians in that e book weren’t regarded as equals, and even as folks. They have been simply there to serve the colonizers the story was centering. I bear in mind feeling embarrassed, mortified, and fewer than. A long time later, as I assumed again on that have, I spotted I wished to inform a narrative that challenges who’s being centered in so-called classics and different tales, and whose story is being erased. In America, as is the case in lots of components of the world, historical past and social research lessons framed colonizers as courageous explorers, discovering new lands and serving to the indigenous folks. In actuality, that’s removed from the case. Colonization is a brutal apply whose results are nonetheless seen right now in South Asia, in America, and world wide. I wished to put in writing a e book that made each reader, no matter their age or background, actually take into consideration these tales another way. There is a prolonged historic observe on the finish of ‘Robust as Fireplace, Fierce as Flame’ that goes into simply among the methods colonization modified South Asia, together with the hundreds of thousands of lives misplaced and the trillions of {dollars} stolen.
Similtaneously wanting to put in writing a e book that empowered readers to decolonize their minds and their bookshelves, I wished to put in writing a e book that had a powerful feminine character that youngsters of all genders can relate to and be impressed by, who fights off her homegrown oppression whereas defeating her colonizers. I hope it empowers my readers to search out their voice and use it to talk out for change, to allow them to actually really feel just like the title, sturdy as hearth, fierce as flame.
3. From writing screenplays for Bollywood movies to writing and illustrating for youths’ books– it is a huge change within the writing format and the viewers. Inform us a bit about writing for various formats– was it troublesome/ straightforward for you, the challenges or limitations, and so on.
I studied screenwriting on the College of Michigan, and nonetheless use what I realized in school, whether or not I am writing a screenplay or a novel. So I at all times start each novel or screenplay by fascinated with who my characters are in the beginning of the story and the way I need them to vary by the tip of it. I then define the story, utilizing a three-act Hollywood screenplay construction, after which I start writing. I do not discover it troublesome switching between the 2 codecs but it surely does take me a beat to recollect I would like to make use of a unique writing model for each.
In a screenplay it’s important to be underneath a sure variety of pages, as every web page equals roughly a minute on movie. So you do not spend time describing the best way an individual clothes, or the best way a room seems until it is important to the plot as a result of the script is not the ultimate product, and a fancy dress designer goes to resolve what a personality wears and a set designer goes to resolve what a room seems like.
Once I labored with my editor on my first printed e book, ‘Ahimsa’, she did need to remind me to pause and take the time to explain all these issues and the way the character interacts along with her atmosphere.
4. In a earlier interview, you mentioned “I exploit numerous what I realized working in Bollywood in my books.” Might you please elaborate…
My expertise in Bollywood taught me that tales need to entertain whereas exploring a theme so your viewers feels enthusiastic in regards to the movie and actually connects to it. I exploit that pondering every time I am writing a novel, attempting to make sure I can get my theme throughout in a approach that nearly feels cinematic for the reader. I hope it leaves them fascinated with the story and characters lengthy after they’re performed studying the e book, and I hope that they are impressed to make a distinction on the earth due to my books.
5. It’s typically mentioned by many authors that writing for kids is tougher than writing for adults. Do you agree? Is there something particularly that you just take into accout whereas writing for kids?
I’ve by no means written a e book particularly for adults so I am undecided! I at all times attempt to current my themes in an age-appropriate approach for younger readers whereas preserving in thoughts that the e book goes to be learn by adults too. I believe kids’s books are actually an important sort of books on the market, as a result of they make an enormous distinction in serving to youngsters develop their empathy for others. Numerous tales guarantee we will see ourselves in our classmates as youngsters, and our mates and neighbors once we develop up.
6. Analysis is taken into account an essential a part of historic fiction writing. The place did you draw the road between details and fiction, particularly whereas writing your new e book ‘Robust as Fireplace, Fierce as Flame’?
Once I’m writing historic fiction, I’ve to verify all of the historic details are right, after which match the plot into the historical past. As I discussed earlier, there is a historic observe behind ‘Robust as Fireplace, Fierce as Flame’ that touches a little bit bit on the big quantity of analysis there was to put in writing this e book. Not like ‘Ahimsa’, which takes place in 1942, there isn’t any one round from 1857 to test details with. I used to be fortunate to have a household pal who’s a professor who gave me a number of books from the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s. They have been written by British colonizers and actually robust to learn. I had a knot in my abdomen virtually the entire time as I learn their informal racist ideas and what they did to the folks whose land they have been looting. I additionally learn excerpts of among the many journey diaries, or journals written by British memsahibs. These books have been one of many methods folks in Europe realized about South Asia, and so they have been stuffed with racist observations as effectively. There have been additionally minor particulars that needed to be researched. I had to verify the fruit and veggies I discussed would have been in season within the months I’m mentioning them again then. I had to verify okra had been launched in India at the moment. And since it was actually onerous to discover a portray or {photograph} of a woman again then, I used to be lucky sufficient to have the ability to ask historian Dr. Toolika Gupta, questions on clothes and henna. She was so form and useful. All of this analysis collectively helped make ‘Robust as Fireplace, Fierce as Flame’ what it’s right now.
7. That are your all time favorite kids’s books and authors. And why?
I used to be privileged to have numerous e book entry as a child. Not each baby does. My home was stuffed with books and I might go to the library on a regular basis. As an grownup, I’m nonetheless studying a number of kids’s books a month and depart the library with dozens of books every week. I study a lot from my fellow authors and illustrators’ work. It’s onerous for me to select an all-time favourite as a result of I learn a lot that’s consistently altering. Some footage books that actually impressed me lately are ‘Du Iz Tak?’ by Carson Ellis. It’s written in a very made-up bug language and but the readers is ready to absolutely perceive what’s being mentioned. I additionally can not learn ‘Honeybee: The Busy Lifetime of Apis Mellifera’ by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann, with out crying on the finish. And I am keen on ‘Eyes that Kiss within the Corners’ by Joanna Ho, illustrated by Dung Ho.
8. What are you engaged on subsequent?
It was a busy 12 months for me this 12 months, with 4 books releasing in 2.5 months! I’m presently engaged on a number of enjoyable initiatives that will probably be popping out within the subsequent few years. My illustrator debut comes out subsequent 12 months from ‘Little, Brown. That is referred to as ‘American Desi’, written by Jyoti Rajan Gopal. I am finalizing the artwork for that whereas additionally illustrating my expensive pal Raakhee Mirchandani’s e book from Little, Brown, ‘My Diwali Mild’, releasing subsequent 12 months as effectively. I’ve an image e book referred to as ‘Brown’, about all the gorgeous, empowering issues in regards to the coloration brown, releasing subsequent 12 months from Macmillan. I’ve a e book about being happy with your title and the folks and locations that went into making it what it’s referred to as ‘My Identify’ from Macmillan releasing in 2023. I’ve a spooky novel about discovering your voice popping out in 2023 from Simon & Schuster referred to as ‘The Cobra’s Track’. And I’ve some unannounced initiatives I am excited to share about as soon as they’re public.
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