shyamala's world

  Author Vibha Batra is out with a bold, new graphic novel for teens.   P ublished by Harper Collins India, the book doesn't shy away from addressing the pain and angst of today's metro teens. From fat shaming, divorce, remarriage, bullying to LGBT issues, The Secret Life of Debbie G covers it all. Illustrator Kalyani Ganapathy has successfully captured the moods of the different characters with her black and white illustrations. 1.Why did you choose to approach this book as a graphic novel? I didn’t! It all started when my editor asked me if I’d write a graphic novel for them. And I replied, ‘Yes! Sure! Of course!’ with the confidence of someone who’s never written a graphic novel before. And then, I dived headlong into the world of comic books and graphic novels. Devouring them in the name of ‘research’, of course. At some point I realised, I had to stop binge-reading and start writing. So I did.  2.What kind of research went into creating this book? You have got ...

Mumbai based illustrator Shamika Chaves has brought out an exciting new activity book for kids. Filled with interesting trivia and countless indoor and outdoor activities, this nonfiction book is ideal for family bonding. Shamika shares info about her family, early influences and work. Tell us a bit about your family of artists. Are all of them into illustrating books? My great grandfather, the late Keshaorao Chudekar, was an artist and the first Indian headmaster at Sir J J School Of Art during the British era in the 1920s, his work is displayed at the Prince Of Wales museum in Mumbai. ‘After fishing’ is one of his most famous paintings. I never got a chance to meet him because he passed away before I was born but I grew up seeing and hearing about his work. My parents too pursued their degrees from Sir J J School of Art (they met during their college years, fell in love and soon got married) So I have a very art influential background, but neither of them were into childr...