Ever since the books 'The Nameless God' and 'Laxmi Panda, Netaji's Youngest Spy' appeared in our conversations at the Young Readers' Club, we have been curious to know more about how these marvellous books came about. Both books are important in their own right for both children and adults to read- More importantly for discussions on diversity, the need for mutual respect, the need to be united no matter what our differences are, etc. With the intention of paving the way for a space for such a discussion, inviting the author to talk about these books came up. That sounded like a good starting point.
The Nameless God was voted the Most Popular Children’s Book on Amazon India in 2021. It was also shortlisted for Bangalore Literature Festival’s Book Prize for MAMI Mumbai Film Festival’s Words to Screen Options Market in 2023. Laxmi Panda, The Story of Netaji's Youngest Spy has been shortlisted for the Kalinga Literary Festival Book Awards 2024.
Talking With Ms.Savie Karnel @ The Young Readers' Club About Her Amazing Books
As always, there was mixture of excitement and nervousness. We were waiting for our guest of the day to join, Ms.Savie Karnel, the author of the acclaimed children's books, The Nameless God and Laxmi Panda, The Story of Netaji's Youngest Spy. Some of the young readers were ready with their copies of the book, The Nameless God. A few had managed to finish reading it, while a few were in the process of reading it. While we waited, one of the readers excitedly shared how the one of the main characters in the book was to have the same name as Amitabh Bachhan since his father was a big fan of the legendary actor. But his father got the spelling wrong and his name became Amita Bachhu. The group started to giggle, almost forgetting that the author, Ms.Savie Karnel was about to join our online session any minute.
"She is here, the author is here. She is joining now," I said.
Hush, hush...silence. Copies of the book, The Nameless God, came up on some screens. They had to make the author feel special and happy as she joined the meeting. Before I go on any further, I must give due credit to my amazing reading companions. They deserve much appreciation for all the love and effort they always put in, especially when we have a guest at the Young Readers' Club. The idea of welcoming her with copies of her book was entirely their idea and I had nothing to do with it. :)
The session began with the mandatory audio checks, followed by a detailed introduction of the author. "Am I pronouncing your name right, Ms.Karnel?" I asked, being fresh out of a discussion about misspelt and mispronounced names! Everyone was tuned in. It was incredibly important for the young readers as well. They had to get the name right if they were talk about the interaction with the author later on.
Ms.Savie Karnel began her career as a journalist reporting to The New Indian Express, Mid Day and Talk Magazine in Bangalore. Being an avid reader and a huge fan of children's literature, writing for children was something that she wanted to do for a long time. That's how The Nameless God came about, followed by Laxmi Panda, The Story of Netaji's Youngest Spy. The idea to write about Laxmi Panda came about during her stint as a journalist when she came across Laxmi Panda's grandson who was trying to get any newspaper to write about his grandmother whose role in India's independence wasn't known. Laxmi Panda lived in poverty, working in people's homes to make ends meet. She was a hero who deserved better. Ms. Karnel strongly felt that Laxmi's valour in the INA(Indian National Army) had to be celebrated and her story told to children and adults alike. It took her two years to do all the required research for the book. Writing it for children, required extra care and effort. The result of all that hard work is the incredibly brilliant book, Laxmi Panda, The Story of Netaji's Youngest Spy.
Knowing more about the book, The Nameless God
Ms.Karnel took over, starting with the question, "Have anyone of you had experiences of your name being misspelt or mispronounced?"
That question broke the ice and everyone was at ease. A few hands went up and a couple of readers shared stories of their names being mispronounced and how that makes them feel. As we listened further, we learnt how this was exactly the emotion that she wanted to capture and in the process get the young reader's attention, right in the first chapter of the book.
"Easily relatable characters and events are the key to pull the reader into a book," explained Ms.Karnel.
She gradually took us to the plot for the book, The Nameless God, the time it was set in, the events that occurred then that caused much havoc across the country. Communal riots had broken out at the time. While that is happening in the background, the protagonists in the book are two children belonging to two different faiths, exploring the concept of a new God who would readily answer their prayers very quickly. Like any child, prayers tend to be in the lines of passing an exam or asking for a school holiday and so on. Together the two children in the book, Amita and Noor, create a God of their own as their respective Gods didn't seem to be answering their prayers quickly enough. Thinking that the Gods were too busy, they come up with the idea of creating a God for themselves alone. They pick a smooth pebble, decorate it following both Hindu and Muslim traditions. Their friendship, no matter what happens in the background, is a beautiful example of mutual respect. Know more about the book here.
It was interesting to learn how the idea of creating a God with stone and cloth came about. Ms.Karnel shared with the children how she as a child used to love playing with random hodgepodge that children like to collect. Her chosen assortment included rags and stones. She used to enjoy creating playthings with those. That memory surfaced while she was trying to write a story that children would like to read.
"Writing for children is very different from writing for adults," explained Ms.Karnel, a journalist by profession. "Characters need to be relatable, the plot must be fast paced and there must be elements that children can identify easily with."
How to write an engaging story?
She took the example of the popular Tom and Jerry Series to explain how the story mountain concept has been used to keep the viewer's attention throughout. What is less evident, she explained, is the amount of planning and thought that has gone into creating the script for the cartoon that appears so simple as a story.
"Characters need to be relatable, the plot must be fast paced and there must be elements that children can identify easily with."
Questions from the audience
There were several questions from the audience about the books as well as the writing process - the challenges involved thereof. Some even discussed their ideas of books of their own. Here are a few excerpts:
How long does it typically take you to write a book?
Ms.Karnel: The first draft of The Nameless God took three months to write. Discussions with the publisher led to the second draft that took about a month to complete. During that month, I had to work long hours to complete the draft. As for Laxmi Panda, being based on a real person, a lot of research was required. It took me two years to finish this book.
Do you get frustrated while writing? Have you had Writer's Block ever?
Ms. Karnel: Yes, I do have Writer's Block sometimes. I generally take a break then, maybe go for a walk or do something different to clear my mind. Then when I come back, I am generally able to write.
Were you hungry when you wrote the first chapter in The Nameless God? Is that why the chapter has been called "Of Biryani and Dahi Vadas?"
Ms. Karnel: I wasn't hungry. Writing about food is another nice way to connect with the readers. The hope was that if not biryani, there would be some who like dahi vadas.
What was it like to meet Laxmi Panda in person?
Ms. Karnel: It was a memorable experience. I still remember hearing her say 'Jai Hind' when we spoke on the phone for the first time. It gave me goosebumps.
Read a review about the book Laxmi Panda, The Story of Netaji's Youngest Spy, here.
Is there another book coming any time soon in the future?
Ms. Karnel: I am working on something. I have an idea but yet to find a suitable plot.
When it was time to conclude, one important revelation dawned upon everyone. Writing an engaging book isn't easy. It takes immense hard work, self discipline and the willingness to write multiple drafts. We made a mental note that the next time we read a book either on our own or together we will not forget, that writing a book is not easy. That said, two good books were waiting to be read. It was time to say goodbye to the author, Savie Karnel.
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