He doesn’t ‘write for money’; he doesn’t ‘write for fame’; he ‘writes for the love of writing’. He ‘writes for the joy of creation’. These are the words he has used on his home page to describe him. He is a celebrity children’s writer, who straddles the corporate as well as the creative world – a world where he takes refuge in, after his office hours – with equal ease.
He is Ramendra Kumar or just Ramen for his readers – all young and young at heart. Under his belt are over 20 collections of short stories, novels and novellas for children, a couple of adult fiction, a book on parenting and in the pipeline are a book on Kashmir and an adventure story for the young adults.
His work has been published by such names in the publishing industry as Penguin, Hachette, Pratham, National Book Trust (NBT), Rupa & Co., Children’s Book Trust (CBT), Navneet, Pauline, Ponytale, Pustak Mahal and Vikas.
In a tete-a-tete with Manish Kumar of Orissa POST, the author tells about his shift from a writer working on satire/poetry to a specialist children’s writer and more … Excerpts:
From the world of boiled eggs to poached eggs!
When my daughter, Ankita was around four and my son had just happened, my wife, Madhavi told me, “You write satire and poetry don’t you? Then why can’t you tell Ankita stories and put her to sleep.” To Madhavi, shifting from satire/poetry to children’s fiction was as simple as moving from the realm of the boiled egg to the world of the poached egg.
Anyways, I took her rather broad hint seriously and started thinking up little tales to tell my little one. I don’t know whether Ankita liked the plot more or my antics, but she lapped up my stories and my confidence grew. Soon it became a tradition which continued even after my son, Aniket, grew up and doubled the size of my audience. The real challenge now for me was to cater to the rather diverse tastes of the members of my exclusive fan club. While Ankita wanted the fairy tale – happy ending type of yarns, my in-house Rambo wanted action and sports. So naturally ‘Papa Scheherazade’ ended up telling both types of stories. The ones liked by my kids found their way to the laptop and from there to the publisher’s desk.
On Folk Tales of Orissa
I was specially commissioned by Children’s Book Trust to write the Folk Tales of Orissa. Our state is a land of legends, myths and stories – each more fascinating than the other. I dipped into the rich repertoire of myth, history, fiction and fact to recreate tales that would enchant, enthrall and elevate. The book covers the myth of Kanchi Abhijaan, the legend of Sakhi Gopal, the story of Dalabehera and many other riveting tales which are a tribute to the intelligence, resilience and innocence of the people of Utkal. I am happy to share with you that book has received an overwhelming response from my readers, with more than 20,000 copies having been sold in English and Hindi.
On Jagannath culture
I came to Orissa in 1988 and fell instantly in love with the Jagannath Culture. I started doing research and soon realised that the Jagannath Culture was not merely a religious belief; it was a way of life. It is a consciousness which transcends the boundaries of caste and creed, religion and race, to embrace the entire humankind.
I had the rare honour of presenting a paper at the 31st World Congress organized by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) held in Copenhagen, Denmark in September, 2008. In my paper titled “Here and Now Writing: An Indian Paradigm”, I drew upon the Jagannath Culture and explained how its values and ideals can be skillfully synergized with the modern day concerns to fashion and sculpt a literature, which is timeless.
My latest book the Tales of Lord Jagannath was published in English last month. It comprises stories associated with the Lord Jagannath, forming a fascinating treasure trove of myth, legend, folklore and history. Though these stories have been around for generations, mostly in oral form, they are yet to find a place in any anthology in English, especially for children. This book seeks to fill this gap. Filled with magic and mystery, dedication and devotion, courage and conviction, faith and freedom – these tales will captivate the reader. I have written each story in a reader-friendly style and language that would, I hope, appeal to the young and the young at heart. Subtly interwoven in each of these stories is a value which is relevant even today. The anthology thus aims to entertain as well as inspire, by offering the children timeless tales with a modern sensibility.
On stories for school textbooks – the ‘Here and Now’ genre
According to me school text books should include stories of a type which I have taken the liberty to name ‘Here and Now’ genre. This is the writing which is set in the present and addresses contemporary values and issues. The readers should be able to empathise with the characters in these stories. The tales should be fast paced with a touch of humour to retain the interest of the vibrant minds. Each story should have a value, subtly tucked in somewhere as a takeaway for the reader. These stories can thus serve to entertain as well as elevate.
On being an editor of a New-York based portal on children
The future belongs to e-publishing. E-zines offer greater speed and visibility. At the touch of a button you can reach out to the entire planet. However, this doesn’t mean that print publications will die. They will continue to occupy their niche space but will have to relentlessly reinvent themselves to remain relevant in today’s rapidly changing universe.
On managing work and passion for writing
I firmly believe that time is a function of your PQ or Passion Quotient. If you have the passion for anything, you’ll find the time for it. I am really, really passionate about writing. I hardly socialize nor do I go for booze sessions with colleagues or friends. I go to the club only for swimming in summers. My tryst with the idiot box is limited to the news or the odd sports event. So, beyond my profession it is basically my family and my writing. Madhavi, my wife, has been a big support since she handles many of the daily chores leaving me to my obsession.
On the genre he loves to work more
I love writing for children the most. I would like to mention here that I am also an inspirational speaker for children and I am frequently invited by schools to address the young minds as well as to conduct creative writing workshops. Writing for children and being with kids has taught me that the only way to be happy is to be like them. When I’m in the company of kids I feel much younger and far more vibrant. Even a few minutes with little hearts and souls are like an injection of elixir.
The response of the young has been very encouraging to my initiatives. After the workshops the children have often mobbed me with their slam books, class copies and even pieces of paper, asking for autographs, posing for photographs and later deluging me with Facebook requests. On each of these occasions I have felt like a rock star!
On writing a book on parenting
I have found that most of the books on parenting are serious tomes written by psychologists, pedagogues or pediatricians. Their tone is highly pedantic. I decided to write a book on parenting which would offer hands on tips and be fun to read and easy to practice.
My book, Effective Parenting: A New Paradigm, is based on ideas culled from my own experiences as a child from a broken home, my observations as a writer for children and my own struggles as a parent. It is a framework offering only gentle suggestions, hints and thoughts which would hopefully serve the mum/dad as unobtrusive guides as he/she journeys across the tough terrain of Parenting. An added feature in the book, which I hope shall enhance its readability quotient, is a basket of poems, stories and anecdotes.
On his future plans
I am right now working on a book centred around Kashmir, titled, “And the Jhelum Flows …”. It is a tale of the average Kashmiri, who seems to have lost relevance in his own land. The book is the voice of an outsider looking in with empathy and concern, sans prejudice. It is my way of reaching out to the beautiful and innocent people of this pure and pristine land, which has been mutilated and ravaged over and over again. The manuscript is ready and waiting… . After this book I am planning to write an adventure story for the young adults on the menace of poaching of tigers.
