Moni's Nook: October 2010

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Riddle reviews and press

The amazing adventures of Rishabh the rat and Shashee the spider are making news far and wide. Here are some links:

The Hindu : "A delightful and entertaining peep into the parallel universe of pests, the novel features the old city like you’ve never seen it." Read the complete interview/review in The Hindu

The Hindu says: "Riddle of the Seventh Stone keeps you hooked. You laugh as the kids foil Ajji's attempts to get rid of the pests. You sympathise with Rishab's struggles with geometry. Monideepa Sahu's portrayal of the kids and their interactions rings true and her language flows easily... Pick this one up for a great read." Read the full review here in The Hindu

Ranjana Kaul says in The Book Review: "Riddle of the Seventh Stone is an engaging book with unlikely protagonists drawn from the world of vermin and insects, a world which humans generally tend to ignore or treat with disgust and repulsion. The book straddles these two antithetical yet interdependent worlds with ease ... It is the author's ability to bring each character to life and make him or her an individual which sets this book apart." Read the full review in The Book Review

Reviewed at Saffrontree by Harini Gopalaswamy Srinivasan, talented author of Gind (Puffin) and The Smile of Vanuvati (Tulika)

Ace fantasy author Payal Dhar reviews Riddle in writeside.net

interview/review in Unboxed Writers

Riddle selected as Telegraph paperback pickings

Author Ramendra Kumar in Bolokids.com

Mummy knows best review

review in Deccan Herald

Riddle in Bangalore Mirror

The Hindu, Hyderabad Printpick

Singapore based author and journalist Zafar Anjum on Riddle

Hansda SS reviews Riddle

review in Bookrack

Monday, October 11, 2010

A Rainbow Feast

I just received a lovely new surprise. My short story, Flowers and Paper Boats, in among the 25 stories selected out of over 150 entries from all over Asia for A Rainbow Feast: New Asian Stories.
This collection is selected and edited by Prof Mohammad A. Quayum of International Islamic University Malaysia and authorof 20 books.
This book is a collection of 25 original short stories by writers from Australia, Bangladesh, Guyana, India, japan, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, UAE, the UK, USA and Vietnam.
PUBLISHER: Marshall Cavendish Editions, Singapore

The Internet is an amazing world. I'm now exchanging warm messages with Prof Quayum, and find myself in the company of writer friends Damyanti Ghosh (Singapore) and Abha Iyengar (New Delhi, India). The net has brought us all together from different corners of the world, facilitated a meeting of minds. So what if we can't meet physically.

Sunday, October 03, 2010

Riddle bangalore launch

Dear readers ,

Please do make it next saturday at 5 pm to reliance timeout, cunningham road for the launch of my new fantasy adventure novel for children.
please pass on the message to any young friends who may be interested.

about the book
Riddle of the Seventh Stone.

publisher:Zubaan books

THE BOOK:

Rishabh the rat and Shashee the spider are quite happy with the way they are: rummaging around in Venkat Thata’s wonderful, musty, dusty, rare herb shop in the heart of Bangalore. Until, that is, they stumble upon a magical powder and find themselves transformed into human children.

It’s not easy being a kid! There’s school and homework and wearing clothes and – yuk! – having to use soap… but even worse, their home is under threat from an evil moneylender known as the Shark.

Can Rishabh solve the cryptic clues that lead to King Kempe Gowda’s fabulous treasure before the Shark can get to it? Will the vermin survive Ajji’s herbal pesticide attack? Will Shashee be able to spin her way out of this tangled web of intrigue?

With the help off other children, friendly cockroaches, cheeky mosquitoes and a very Big Bandicoot, they set out of prove that no problem is too big even for the smallest of creatures.

THE REVIEWS:

“These are exciting times for children, with fiction such as Monideepa Sahu’s Riddle of the Seventh Stone — a unique take on ordinary events and creatures that we take so much for granted, things that get extraordinary in her gifted hands.” —Shreekumar Varma

“The author’s light and airy prose makes this book a delight to read for children and adults alike. She has a fine ear for dialogue and… conversations flow freely and fast….
A cracking good adventure tale.” —Shrabonti Bagchi, DNA

“A delightful tale…The fun and the excitement are enhanced by the spirited participation of an army of children, “friendly cockroaches”, “cheeky mosquitoes”, a Big Bandicoot and a troop of rodents…The illustrations by Pooja Pottenkulam complement Sahu’s limpid prose.” --The Telegraph

details of the book and the launch/reading.

Date: Oct 9th,Saturday

Time: 5 PM

Place: Reliance Timeout, Cunningham Road, Bangalore

Thanks and regards,

Monideepa

check out Zubaan Books

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Going Home in the Rain and Other Stories by Monideepa Sahu

In this collection of short stories, strangers waiting at a bus stop take off on a magical journey. Going home in the rain can mean taking unlikely detours. A mother and son’s tour through a royal city becomes a journey of rediscovering each other. A traditional painter pours his life’s blood into his art. A lovely young mother proves herself to be beyond sweetness and light. Food becomes an instrument of torture in ‘Breakfast.’ A princess without a nose or a kingdom finds unexpected allies in the aftermath of a nuclear winter. Everyday situations and people reveal extraordinary facets. These radiant images range from warm and humane to poignant and chilling. They reveal the whimsy and playfulness, the raw edges, the heartbreak, and all things in-between that comprise the human condition.

‘A classic story teller’ SHASHI DESHPANDE

“Monideepa Sahu constructs her stories on strong, clear lines, building character, detail and mood, giving in the end, a glimpse of life.” USHA KR

Riddle of the Seventh Stone

Rishabh the rat and Shashee the spider are quite happy with the way they are: rummaging around in Venkat Thatha's wonderful, musty, dusty, rare herbs shop. Until, that is, they stumble upon a magical powder and find themselves transformed into human children.It’s not easy being a kid! There’s school and homework and wearing clothes and – yuk! – having to use soap… but even worse, their home is under threat from an evil moneylender known as the Shark. Can Rishabh solve the cryptic clues that lead to King Kempe Gowda’s fabulous treasure before the Shark can get to it? Will the vermin survive Ajji’s herbal pesticide attack? Will Shashee be able to spin her way out of this tangled web of intrigue? With the help off other children, friendly cockroaches, cheeky mosquitoes and a very Big Bandicoot, they set out of prove that no problem is too big even for the smallest of creatures. A 166 page novel best for readers in Std. 5th and above. Click on the picture to buy in India. The books is also on amazon.com and the publisher, Zubaan books, will ship to any country. Links below.

Music of the Stars and other love stories

A cool new anthology from Scholastic NovaMusic of the Stars and other Love Stories is an anthology of diverse, beautifully-written love stories that cover a range of themes and styles. From inter-galactic romances to magic realism to coming-of-age love stories this diverse collection contains contributions from various popular writers of young adult literature : *Aditya Bidikar *Anil Menon *Bikram Ghosh *Diksha Basu *Kenny Deroi Basumatary *Monideepa Sahu *Payal Dhar *Rasik Chopra *Salil Chaturvedi *Tharun James Jimani *Trisha Ray .

THE NEW ANTHEM:the subcontinent in its own words

My short story in a cross border collection by writers from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. South Asia first found its English voice in literature and in song in the nineteenth century. It changed and morphed over two hundred years so that it now boasts of as many registers as there are languages and dialects within its geographical frontiers.From Mohsin Hamid, Kamila Shamsie and Raj Kamal Jha to Amit Chaudhuri, Altaf Tyrewala, Padma Vishwanathan and Tabish Khair, this book anthologises 23 major writers of fiction who, with their original narrative styles, have reinterpreted the region s turbulent history at both personal and national levels.The New Anthem confirms that many of the most brilliant storytellers of world literature were born in the Indian subcontinent. Ahmede Hussain weaves the anthology together to make it a testimony to the brilliance of south Asian fiction.Click on the photo to buy at attractive discounts.

The Killer App and other paranormal stories

Gripping, haunting, uncanny, bizarre-12 paranormal stories to chill the heart.A wildly popular app that feeds on hatred; a trek that literally brings out the beast in man; a luxury resort you don t want to visit on a new-moon night; a swimming pool with a deadly secret.Murdering ghosts, enchanted amulets, a haunted medical school, an uncle with a resemblance to a vengeful lion... all these bring the paranormal uncomfortably close.These fiendishly unnerving tales by best-selling authors David Hair, Ranjit Lal, Deepa Agarwal,and others. My story is about a haunted medical school.

Africa-Asia anthology

An anthology of contemporary African and Asian short stories selected and edited from hundreds of submission by award winning authors Rohini Chowdhury and Zukiswa Wanner. The title, Behind the Shadows, is from one of the short stories in the collection by writer Tasneem Basha. The collection also includes Penguin-shortlisted author Isabella Morris; Caine Prize-shortlisted writer Lauri Kubuitsile; renowned Singaporean Young Artist Award recipient, author and poet, Felix Cheong; and emerging Indian writers Rumjhum Biswas, Monideepa Sahu, and Sucharita Dutta-Asane.Click on the photo to get the book at Amazon.com

Urban Voice 3: Bombay

Writings on and from one of the most vivacious cities of the world. The contributors include: Ranjona Banerji, Jane Bhandari, Derek Bose, Pratik Chowdhury, Atin Dasgupta, Rosalyn D mello, Fiona Fernandez, Naresh Fernandes, Reshma Ghosh, Aijaz Gul, Dan Husain, Abha Iyengar, Radhika Iyengar, Lajwanti S Khemlani, Ramendra Kumar, Freny Manecksha, Abhinav Maurya, Rajendar Menen, Vimla Patil, Sunil K Poolani, Anjali Purohit, Joy C Raphael, Dilip Raote, Monideepa Sahu, Murzban F Shroff, Riah Terri, Salil Tripathi.