JOIN USDo you want to meet your favourite author?
Kate DiCamillo, author of books such as Because of Winn-Dixie, and Flora and Ulysses, recently posted a story on her Facebook page about an incident that occurred when she was autographing a young boy’s book. She writes:
‘The kid was leaning up against me as I signed. His mother said, “Stop leaning on her,” and the boy looked up at his mother and said, “It’s okay, mom. She knows me.” I was so moved by the notion that we knew each other because of the stories I had written, the stories he had read.’
This story made me smile. I completely identify with how the boy felt about the author whose books he loved. Often, a book I’ve read has left me convinced that the author and I could be best friends. I remember vivid dreams in my childhood, of picnicking with Enid Blyton and being convinced that she knew of my existence. How could she not know me, when I knew her so well!
I grew up reading Ruskin Bond’s essays in Sunday Herald. When I got the chance to meet him and talk to him in person, he was friendly, and formal. One part of my brain kept wondering why he’s being so formal, while the other part kept reminding me that I’m a complete stranger to him!
With the advent of the internet and social media, our favourite authors feel much closer to us, more accessible. If we write to them, they might actually respond! And yet, many of us don’t try to contact them. Me, for example. On the one hand, as an author myself, I love hearing from readers. On the other, I’m still shy and hesitant to write to my favourite authors and tell them how much I like their work!
It was due to this same hesitation that I never got around to reaching out to Subhadra Sen Gupta, who recently died of Covid-19. This much-loved author is one of the biggest names in Indian children’s literature. The winner of Sahitya Akademi’s 2015 Bal Sahitya Puraskar, she has written more than 30 books. I have spoken of some of them in this space — A Children’s History of India, and The Constitution of India. As a young teen, I grew up enjoying her stories in the Target magazine. So I’ve known her name for decades. Before I started writing my first non-fiction book, I studied her writing style — she wrote with a light touch, and did not talk down to children. I tried to keep that in mind when I wrote.
After the news of her death reached the children’s literature community, there was an outpouring of grief and affection. Many people shared stories of her wit, humour, kindness, and generosity. I had been convinced that I would get an opportunity to meet her in person someday. But I have to be content with having known her through her books.
The author has written 10 books for children and can be reached at www.shruthi-rao.com
GobbledyBook is a fortnightly column that gives a peek into the wondrous world of children’s books. Hop on! Or as Alice did, plunge into the rabbit hole.