5 Questions with Niyatee Sharma (Children’s Author)
Some years ago, I attended a workshop on building your chapter book with children’s writer Asha Nehemiah, organized by SCWBI India. Niyatee was one of the other participants. I had the pleasure of reading the early draft of the book she was working on, which eventually became ‘Mahalaxmi Will Go to Mysore’ published by Duckbill in 2023. Niyatee has always been encouraging, something I have always appreciated, especially from someone many years ahead in their writing journey. You will find her responses to these five questions insightful, and there is something here for readers, parents and aspiring writers.
How (and why) did you transition from furniture designing to children's writing? Are there parts of that career that spill into your writer life?
When you are creatively inclined, you often find it hard to limit yourself to one singular type of creativity. Throughout my education and professional career as an Interior/ retail designer, books have always been integral to my life. After I embarked on motherhood, I discovered a whole new world of children’s books and was drawn to it. After my second child was born, I took a sabbatical from work. It was somewhere around that time, inspired by all the gardening I did with both my kids, and finding a lack of books on the theme of growing your own food in the Indian market, that I was inspired to write my first book – The Tomato Thief.
My background in design helps me think visually and also inspires my writing. My book, My Nest is the Best, was clearly a product of the designer in me and how I have always admired nest architecture.
Which of your books have you found to be most popular among your young readers?
That’s a difficult question to answer because children often come and tell me about the different books they have read that I have written, but I think The Tomato Flood and The Runaway Peacock probably top the list.
Recently, a little girl told me that The Runaway Peacock is one of her favourite books and asked me if I would write a sequel to it! Another mother shared how, when they were welcoming a new puppy home, her son decided to read his favourite book to the puppy to welcome him—well, he read The Tomato Flood to him!
I also have parents tell me how their children grew their favourite vegetable after reading Harvest Day.
Mahalaxmi will go to Mysore has also prompted some insightful conversations with one boy asking why people migrate from villages to cities. Another boy from Tamil Nadu shared with me how he is often teased because of his very dark skin colour.
My Nest is the Best is also popular because it is a non-fiction book. Children are naturally curious and intrigued about this topic. Recently, at a school where I did a book reading, the session, which was planned for 45 minutes, went on for 1.5 hours because the children wouldn’t stop asking me questions and then took their own time to create their nests as a part of the craft activity post the reading. In fact, after the session, a boy came up to me and gifted me a weaver ant nest that he had found fallen under a tree on the school campus.
I loved how multiple of your books feature fresh produce and children tending to home gardens, and on Instagram, you share pictures with your children on harvest days. Do you have any tips for raising children with love and wonder for nature?
As parents, you must prioritize spending time in nature over man-made spaces like malls, movie theatres, gaming arenas etc. Memories of time spent in nature will create lasting impressions on the minds of children.
A simple nature walk can open up a whole new world for children. Try and make the time to visit the green pockets in your city—parks, lakes, farms, etc. Involve your children in gardening, let them dirty their hands, and keep them connected with Mother Earth and the soil.
Do you have any tips for aspiring children's writers reading this newsletter?
Read a lot. Read different genres and formats. Write often, but don’t fall in love with everything you write instantly. Write it and keep it aside for some time, and then revisit it with a fresh pair of eyes.
What are three Indian children's books that you recommend?
Princess Easy Pleasy by Natasha Sharma (Karadi Tales, 2015): I love the exaggeration, humour, and buildup in the story, and Priya Kurian’s illustrations take it to another level.
Mayil Will Not be Quiet by Niveditha Subramaniam and Sowmya Rajendran (Tulika, 2011): Love how brutally honest and funny this diary of a 12-year-old (on her way to becoming a teen) is.
Loki Takes Guard by Menaka Raman (Talking Cub, 2020): A funny coming-of-age story of a girl who wants to play cricket against all odds. A good feminist story.
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You can read more about Mayil series and Loki Takes Guard in my previous newsletters.
Also, congratulations Anjali Ramesh - you are the winner of the giveaway!
Let me know if you have picked up a book for the March prompt of ‘a kid-friendly biography of an Indian woman in science’. If you are still looking for titles, here are a few recommendations -
The Girl Who Was a Forest: Janaki Ammal by Lavanya Karthik (Duckbill, 2021)
Anna's Extraordinary Experiments with Weather, written by Nandita Jayaraj and illustrated by Priya Kuriyan (Pratham Books)
Gutsy Girls Of Science by Ilina Singh (Harper Collins, 2022)
Till Next Time,
Varsha