Anand Pai, the man who introduced millions of Indians to their history and roots died of a heart attack on February 24, 2011.

Pai was the man who created the Amar Chitra Katha series which currently sells 3 million copies in a year. The idea behind the series was born when Pai noticed that children in a quiz show were able to answer  questions on Greek mythology but were clueless when it came to questions on Indian epics, like the Ramayana. Thus was born the idea of a series that would, in simple terms, introduce children to great personalities, events and legends of India. When Pai first came up with the idea, he was rejected by nearly all the publishing houses except for G. L. Mirchandani of India Book House. Thus began a partnership that created books that have been devoured and adored by millions.

In 1969 Pai started Rang Rekha Features, India’s first comic book and cartoon syndicate. In April 1980 he brought out the first issue of Tinkle, a monthly comic which would become the childhood companion for millions of Indian kids. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at India’s first ever Comic Convention held in Delhi last week.

Surprisingly, the man who went on to redefine Indian publishing by starting desi comics was a degree holder in physics, chemistry, and chemical technology. He was born in Karkala, Karnataka and lost both his parents at the age of 2. It is said that Pai personally answered all the letters from his young readers who affectionately called him uncle Pai.

Rest in peace Uncle Pai!

Are you among the people who has grown up with or is growing up with Enid Blytons?

Have you experienced the magic of Blyton’s world? Have you been lost in the worlds atop the Faraway Tree or imagined yourself in Malory Towers or St Clare’s? Have the escapades of Famous Five or Secret Seven left you wishing for similar adventures?

Tell us why you love Enid Blyton and win your favourite Enid Blyton book.

Yes, share with us (and other Blyton fans) your favourite Enid Blyton book, character or even incident. Tell us about a prank or incident inspired by her works or simply tell us how she made a difference to your life (howsoever small or big). Write about your first experience with Enid Blyton or your kid’s first experience (if you are a parent). Look into your heart and let your imagination run wild.

The top 3 entries (judged by our Review Panel) will win a copy of one of Blyton’s classics. So hurry! Share your book love and win some great books

Contest Rules

No great rules. Too many restrictions always inspire rebellion as Blyton would show.

So in the true Blyton spirit, we have kept the rules very very simple. Just send you entries before midnight (IST) on March 20, 2011.

Make sure they are your own, not plagiarised. Remember it is the experience that counts; we are not testing your writing skills here.

You can use any medium to express your Blyton love. Colours, visuals, words. Let your imagination run wild.

If you are an INDIAreads employee (or family member of an INDIAreads employee) or on our Review panel (or family member of our review panel) you cannot participate in the contest. Everyone else can. Age no bar, sex no bar, profession no bar. Just makes sure you are staying within India.

You can leave your entries as comments to this post, paste them on the INDIAreads facebook page or simply send them via email to ls.puia@indiareads.com

Do send us your full name and email id.

Names of the winners will be announced on March 22, 2011. The winners will be sent a list of Blyton titles that they can choose from.

That’s it! Like we said, we are keeping it simple in the true Blyton spirit.

Here’s good news for Blyton fans. An archivist in Newcastle has discovered a hitherto unpublished 180 page manuscript of Mr Tumpy’s caravan, a fantasy novel by Enid Blyton. It is believed that the manuscript was a part of the collection auctioned by the family of Blyton’s eldest daughter last September.

The manuscript that tells the tales of a thinking, walking magic caravan is sure to excite Blyton fans the world over. It is available for viewing at the Seven Stories Bookstore in Newcastle.

Are you an Enid Blyton fan? Do you believe that Blyton changed your childhood or thinking? How and why? Share your favourite Blyton anecdote, novel or character with us and tells us why you are rooting for them. Top three entries will win an Enid Blyton each. Hurry, contest closes on March 20, 2011.

Winners will be announced on March 22, 2011. For details see, the INDIAreads Enid Blyton Contest.

AMY TAN

Born on February 19, 1952 to Chinese immigrants in Oakland California, Amy Tan is known for the sensitive portrayal of mother-daughter relationships in  her novels. Amy’s Mom had married her father, a Baptist minister, after she fled from an abusive husband in Shanghai. She had been forced to leave behind her three daughters who Amy met for the first time in 1987, when she traveled with her mother to China. It is said that this meeting, along with her mother’s memories of life in China influenced many of Amy’s novels. Amy’s mother wanted her to become a doctor but Amy choose fiction as her domain. She obtained her her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English  from San José State University. Despite this she did not plan on becoming a  novelist. She started writing as a therapy; she was a workaholic. In 1989, her first novel, the Joyluck Club was published and it won the Commonwealth Gold Award. It ruled the New York Times Best sellers list for a long time and was made into a critically acclaimed film. Tan has also written two children’s novels. 

Popular Amy Tan novels include:

The Kitchen God’s Wife

The Bonesetter’s daughter

The Hundred Secret Senses

HELEN FIELDING

Helen Fielding is best known for creating Bridget Jones, the thirty something woman struggling to make sense of love, life and other things in today’s world. Born on February 19, 1958 in west Yorkshire, UK, she studied English at St Anne’s College, Oxford. She joined the BBC as a regional researcher in 1979 and went on to become the production manager for many children’s and entertainment shows. She also wrote and produced documentaries on Africa and in the 1990s became a columnist for some of UK’s most prestigious newspapers. The extremely popular Bridget Jones Diary began as an anonymous column in The Independent in 1995. The idea was born when the newspaper approached Fielding to write a column on her life as a single woman in London. Fielding rejected the idea of an autobiographical column and instead created a fictional character who could reflect the concerns, traumas and everyday life of single women in the 20th century, albeit with some exaggeration for comic relief.  These columns later formed the subject for Bridget Jones Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason – two novels that sold over 15 million copies and were made into blockbuster movies.

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Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison (February18, 1931) was born in Ohio in a working class family. Morrison’s father told her numerous folktales of the black community (a method of storytelling that would later form an integral part of Morrison’s writings). She is an award winning novelist, professor and editor. She has won the Pulitzer and noble prize for her inspirational works in the field of literature. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed black characters.

Her important works include  “The Paradise”, “The bluest Eye”,” Song of Solomon” and “Beloved”.

In addition to her novels, Morrison has also co-written books for children along with her younger son, Slade Morrison, who specializes as a painter and musician. She also wrote articles in support of Bill Clinton when the talks related to his impeachment were doing its round in 1998.

At some point in life the world’s beauty becomes enough. You don’t need to photograph, paint or even remember it. It is enough.

                                                       —- Toni Morrison

Len Deighton

Len Dighton (February 18, 1929) was born in London to working class family. He is a renowned British military historian, cookery writer and novelist.  Deighton took keen interest in spy stories right from his childhood. He is perhaps most remembered for his spy novel, The Ipcress File which was made into a film starring Michael Caine. Besides being a writer he also worked as an art director in London advertising agency, travel editor for Playboy magazine, photographer. He was also a film producer wherein he produced film adaption of his novels.

Len Dighton’s most famous works include” Mamista “and” The fighter”.

Anyone can write one book: even politicians do it. Starting a second book reveals an intention to be a professional writer.

                                    —– Len Deighton

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Andre Norton

Andre Norton (February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005) was born as Alice Mary Norton in Cleveland, Ohio in USA. She is acclaimed for her work in the genre of science fiction and fantasy writings. Such was her desired intent of being a writer that she started writing short stories at a very tender age. She supervised over the literary page of her school’s paper (Collinwood Spotlight) at the capacity of the editor. Prince Command, her first novel, was published in 1934. Her stint with Mather College and Cleveland library system was short-lived owing to the depression and the Second World War respectively.

Starting with juvenile historical fiction, Andre Norton made a gradual leap into fantasy and finally science fiction. The basic framework of her plot derives its essence from the secluded world of whims and fancies. Every time the plot takes place in a far-stretched place of country side. The main protagonist is someone who undertakes his mission singly or in a small group. Fewer instances of the urban scenario or any organised community are mentioned in her novels. The plot thrives with unique individuality and the conflicts arising out of it. Here the individual accounts for all glory and difficulties that is expected of a team.

Many of us do not know that Andre Norton is her pen name, which she used more often when she started full- fledged writing from 1958. She is the recipient of prestigious awards such as Gandalf Grand Master award from World Science Fiction Society in 1977 and Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master award from SFWA in 1983. Her notable works include “The Exile of the stars”, “The Crossroads of Time”, “The time Trader Series”, “The Prince Command”.

“I think the human race made a big mistake at the beginning of the industrial revolution, we leaped for the mechanical things, people need the use of their hands to feel creative”.

                                                                                                                                  — Andre Norton

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It will be fascinating to see Atlas Shrugged on silver screen when it hits theatres on April 15^th this year. The movie has been in pipeline for some time now; A-list Hollywood stars like Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron, Russell Crowe, and Brad Pitt have been linked with the project. Interestingly, the first part does not boast of an envious starcast. Directed by Paul Johansson, the movie is made in three parts. For now, only the first part is ready. The first part’s trailer was screened for the first time at the Conservative Political Action Conference. The movie stars Paul Johansson, Taylor Schilling and Edi Gathegi to name a few. Paul Johansson is best known for his roles in “One Tree Hill” and “Beverly Hills 90210.”

Till then, keep your fingers crossed in anticipation of justice the movie will do to the novel.  

SIDNEY SHELDON

(February 11, 1917 – January 30, 2007)

Source: www.openlibrary.org

Academy Award winning and best selling author Sidney Sheldon was born Sidney Schechtel in Chicago to parents of Russian Jewish ancestry. He was first published at the age of 10, when his father submitted one of his poems to the Wee Wisdom magazine. He earned a princely five dollars for that. Thereafter he submitted several stories to newspapers but faced constant rejection. Sheldon suffered from bipolar disorder and was on the verge of committing suicide at the age of 17, when his father walked in and stopped him.

During the Depression Sheldon worked numerous jobs, including one as an usher at a movie theatre. He decided that he could write better scripts than what he saw and in 1937, he moved to Hollywood, where he worked on many B grade movies. During the Second World War, Sheldon enlisted as a pilot but his unit was disbanded before he could see any action. He moved on to New York to write musicals for Broadway and became an instant hit.  A decade after he first arrived in Hollywood, Sheldon won the Academy award for Best original Screenplay for The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer.

The lure of making money drew him to television and after a few successful shows he went on to write the extremely popular I Dream of Jeanie. . It was in his last year of I Dream of Jeanie that Sheldon began to write his first novel. In fact, he did not write, he dictated his novels and books soon became his favourite medium of writing. In 1962 he made his debut with The Naked Face. The book was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award in the Best First Novel category. His subsequent novels went on to become New York Times best sellers and several were made into movies or television series.

Sheldon died at the age of 90 due to complications arising from pneumonia.

Sheldon’s novels are filled with suspense and usually centre around a strong female protagonist. When asked about it, he once said, “Some of the most flattering fan mail I get are from women who want to know how I can understand and write like a woman, and that pleases me very much because I love women.”

Popular Sheldon novels include

Master of the Game

Memories of Midnight

If Tomorrow Comes

Rage of Angels

Bloodline

The Other Side of me - biography

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“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life. Libraries change lives for the better.”

Cameron Dokey’s Wild Orchid is the retelling of the Ballad of Mulan, the story of a young Chinese girl who disguises herself as a boy and goes to battle to save her aged father from conscription. The original ballad is believed to have first been sung in the fourth century.  In Wild Orchid Dokey successfully fleshes out the original ballad and adds romance to Mulan’s story. This book is part of the Once upon a time series brought out by Simon and Schuster. The series itself is a very interesting idea wherein old fairy tales and fables from across the world are retold with a new spin. These books provide you with a rare opportunity to look at tales from your childhood from a new perspective.

But back to Wild Orchid. The novel is named after the main protagonist.  Mu-lan in Chinese means Wild Orchid, or so the author tells us. The daughter of China’s greatest general, Mulan does not meet her father till a little before her 14th birthday.  Her mother died giving birth to her and this broke her father’s heart. So while he was busy fighting the Huns for China, young Mulan grew up into China’s most unconventional girl. Yes, she could sew and embroider like all dutiful girls (though she hated the later),  but she could also climb trees, read, write, ride a horse, shoot with a bow and arrow and fence with a sword. In other words, she could do what most Chinese lads could – and in most cases much better than them – thanks to her childhood friend Li Po.  Mulan’s carefree life changes when her father returns home after a battle injury. Soon China is under attack from the Huns again and every Chinese family has to send a man to fight. To save her father, 14 year old Mulan steals his battle horse and rides into the war where she meets the youngest Chinese prince. Together they endeavor to save China.

Wild Orchid is Mulan’s story and Dokey brings out her character beautifully. Her writing is simple and her characters real. Through her pen the reader experiences the heart ache of a child craving her father’s love, the confusion of a young girl when a stepmom is thrust upon her, the rebellion of a spirited lass determined to learn all that a boy could and the yearning of an individual to just be herself and follow her heart. The friendship between Mulan and Li Po is depicted beautifully. Dokey spends considerable time taking the reader through Mulan’s childhood. Thus she ensures that the reader understands every action and nuance of this fiercely loyal and brave girl. This is not a war story though one cannot be blamed for thinking thus initially. After all, the story begins by saying that it is the story of the girl who saved China. Yes, there is a war, one in which Mulan proves her mettle but the battle only takes up a few pages as does Mulan’s love story. In fact at times, the reader can’t help but feel that the author should have spent a little more time in developing the love story. Also at times, Mulan’s constant awareness of her being different gets annoying.

Does the Wild Orchid do justice to the original ballad? That is difficult to say. However it is highly recommended for those looking for a simple, light hearted and warm story.

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Alice Walker

Alice Walker (born February 9, 1944) is a well known African-American author and poet. Meeting the legendary Martin Luther King when she was a student completely changed her perspective towards life and literature. Her literary works are mainly based on gender and racial issues. She has been awarded with the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for fiction in the year 1983.

“The Temple of my Familiar” and “The Colour Purple” are by far her best creations.

“And so our mothers and grandmothers have, more often than not anonymously, handed on the creative spark, the seed of the flower they themselves never hoped to see – or like a sealed letter they could not plainly read.”

                                                                      - Alice Walker

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