Writers on Reading. Part Ten, Bijal Vachharajani.

She calls herself ‘Editor Scissorhands’, has entire comic strips dedicated to her sustainable book-buying habits, is deeply passionate about the environment and consistently writes books about conservation and climate change. Children’s book author and editor, Bijal Vachharajani is someone we’d love to meet over tea and plastic-free snacks one day. But for now, we’ll settle for a delightful interview about her love for children’s literature and her latest book, ‘A Cloud called Bhura’ perfectly timed for Children’s Day.

You’re a children’s book editor and now a children’s book author, we’re curious about what you grew up reading. Were you always interested in working with children’s literature?

As a shy girl reading books under makeshift bedsheet tents in my house in Delhi and then later in our apartment in Mumbai, I don’t think I’d ever thought I would be creating books when I grew up. Actually, I didn’t really think about growing up, mostly because I was reading. Happy in the world of magical faraway trees, woods full of beavers and hares, and cupboards that led to newer worlds. My sister and I would walk to our neighbourhood library and check out books by Enid Blyton, Russian picture books, fairy tales, and as we grew older, Nancy Drews and Archie Comics. Children’s literature happened as a happy piece of happenstance – from reviewing books as a journalist with Time Out to creating them as a writer and editor.

Delhi is choking and ‘A Cloud Called Bhura’ couldn’t be more timely so, was it inspired by current events or is this a freaky coincidence?

A little bit of both! The timing is really coincidental but I am really humbled to think that children who are part of Fridays for Future may read my book and see their thoughts and concerns reflected in it. I started writing A Cloud Called Bhura, after I got my Masters in Environment Security and Peace at the University for Peace in Costa Rica. We’d studied about the brown cloud phenomena at college, and as I learned more about climate science and sociology, I was amazed how climate change is defined by what different people think, rather than the actual hard truth. I imagined a scenario where a very obvious, visible brown cloud hovers on top of my home town, Mumbai, and how would all of us react to it. Inspired by the many children I have met in the course of my work, I knew I wanted the solution to come from them. And it’s amazing that in the real world as well, the solution is coming from children. Groan-ups, really, need to re-think priorities.

Neil Gaiman once said, “I don't think there is such a thing as a bad book for children." But Enid Blyton is now considered sexist and bigoted as are many other authors that our generation grew up devouring. What are your thoughts on politically correct reading for children?

While I do think that children should read whatever they enjoy reading, it’s a fact that as an editor and writer, I am very conscious of what we commission and what I write as well. I also think that good literature will get read. Whatever a child may choose to read, and they should be given the freedom to choose their own reading list, it’s the adult’s responsibility to discuss problems or help deconstruct complex ideas that are often latent in children’s books. And surround the child/ children with books of a different kind, written by different people. The discovery then is pretty automatic.

Children’s literature now covers inclusive and even difficult ideas that could potentially help parents tackle conversations they struggle to address, are there any books you could recommend for parents that broach discussions on homosexuality, non-binary ideas of gender, death, separation or violence within the family?

I think children’s literature in India and across the world is really a fascinating space at this point of time. There are exciting books being published and am so proud to be part of it.

LGBTQ, non-binary ideas of gender

Talking of Muskaan by Himanjali Sankar

Slightly Burnt by Payal Dhar

The Unboy Boy by Richa Jha and Gautam Benegal

Guthli has Wings by Kanak Shashi

Friends Under the Summer Sun by Ashutosh Pathak and Kanak Shashi

The Others by Paro Anand

Timmi in Tangles by Shals Mahajan

Domestic violence

Behind the Lie by Asha Nehemiah and Aindri C

Grief and loss

Boo! When My Sister Died by Richa Jha and Gautam Benegal

Gone Grandmother by Chatura Rao and Krishna Bala Shenoi

Chuchu Manthu’s Jar of Toffees by Adithi Rao and Krishna Bala Shenoi

Piku’s Little World by Somak Ghosal and Proiti Roy

Depression

Who Swallowed Bhaiya’s Smile by Sanjna Kapur and Sunaina Coelho

Families

Daddy Come Lately and Hot Chocolate is Thicker than Blood by Rupa Gulab

What’s on your current reading list?

Ness by Robert Macfarlane and Stanley Donwood

Wild by Jay Griffiths

Muslims in Story by Gauri Manglik and Sadaf Siddique

The Zen picture book series by Jon J Muth

The latest edition of Pluto magazine from Ektara

A People’s History of Heaven by Mathangi Subramanian

Tickle Me, Don’t Tickle Me by Jerry Pinto

Winners Take All by Anand Giridharadas

(I flit between books)

Between editing books for Pratham, setting up Abhiyan library, journalism, reviewing books on Bam Books and reading voraciously, how did you find time to write. Tell us about your writing process.

I must admit I have written nothing this year, except editing the books I wrote – A Cloud Called Bhura and a forthcoming book with Duckbill on people in the environmental field. In general, my writing process is procrastination and then as the deadline looms, I panic and work as hard as an ant does. Also, writing and editing together is very hard. So, if I am writing, I can’t edit at the same time. Luckily, I have a supportive and talented team who really has my back.

I end up doing a lot of research once I have a semblance of an idea. I read about the subject a lot, online and in books. And then I let the idea stew. Once I have something I feel is perhaps boiling over, then I start actually drawing and making outlines. I draw characters, settings, even fruits and vegetables when I wrote What’s Neema Eating Today?. And then I shove them all aside and start writing. I write in notebooks, on my laptop. Everywhere.

I use this software, Scrivner, for fiction and it’s really handy to shift things around, add little notes and generally organise my clutter. My desk’s wall is peppered with post-it notes because I tend to forget things. I send most stuff I write to my friend and fabulous writer Deepanjana Pal who gives me some super advice. I do a lot of re-writes. I must admit I love the editing process most because that’s really when I see the book shaping up.

You’ve written various books on the environment so far, please tell us what inspired your very vocal campaign against climate change. Was it a specific incident or just our gloomy future prospects?

 My writing combines two things I really care about – children’s books and sustainability. In 2010, I was part of 350.org, kick-starting their 10/10/10 campaign across South Asia. And the same year, I worked with aerial artist Daniel Dancer and thousands of children in Delhi to create an elephant satellite art project for their EARTH campaign. Inspired by the collective belief of the young ones, I realised I didn’t know much about the climate crisis, so I went off to study. There, I was drawn towards education for sustainable development, I had already seen the power of children while at Sanctuary Asia, and a lot of my subsequent work has been around that. As part of my work and studies, I got to talk to farmers, I met seed guardians and green entrepreneurs, I befriended naturalists who love caterpillars and spiders, I listened to international classmates talking about environmental conflicts in their part of the world, and I realised that perhaps the one way I can contribute is through stories.

How was it to make the transition from picture books to chapter books and which form do you prefer writing in?

Actually, I first wrote non-fiction, then picture books, intermittently fiction. Which gets all really muddled up for me, because, with a picture book, you’re trying to distil a thought down to the bare minimum words. In fact, I found myself struggling to write more when trying to finish A Cloud Called Bhura. When I first sent it to Kanishka, who’s my agent, he said, thoda aur likho. And the editor in me was thinking, really?

Non-fiction comes easier to me because I have been a journalist. And dealing with facts and quotes, makes it somehow all very lucid. I must admit I find writing picture books the hardest and I hugely admire the writers and illustrators I work with. I loved dreaming up Bhura, because it was strangely liberating being able to say, okay now I step away from this familiar world of facts and step into something solely in my head. Plus, I didn’t need to transcribe too much for it. Always a win!

Rejection and criticism is a non-negotiable part of being a writer, a lot of our readers are aspiring writers or established ones. Please tell us, how hard is it to pitch a children’s book to a publisher? As an editor what are you looking for in a pitch? As a writer did you face any difficulties getting your books out?

Pitching is never easy. I am constantly riddled with doubt as a writer. A Cloud Called Bhura took some time to find a home, and my agent, Kanishka, pitched a fair bit before deciding on Talking Cub. I have sent manuscripts to editors and received helpful feedback on them, most of which I then buried into my archived folders until I feel I can work on those again. So yes, it’s hard putting your writing out there, but it’s also worth it.

As an editor, I look for an introductory mail that’s to the point and includes a clear idea synopsis or a draft with a synopsis. A short bio is always helpful. But before sending out that email, more importantly, if you want to write a children’s book, read them. Understand the publishing house’s profile, the kind of books they publish, their author-illustrator roster – it often gives an idea of the kind of manuscripts they’d be looking for. Scour the landscape, see if there’s already a similar book out there, if so, how is yours different. Explain that. Also, please read submission guidelines carefully, they will tell you if the publisher will respond or if there’s a timeline to it and so on.

Do you ever feel children’s book writers aren’t taken as seriously as they should be? What are your pet peeves as an editor and author about these preconceived notions?

Oh, I wrote a whole article on that by crowdsourcing what people tell us! It’s getting better, but gradually. I think the biggest issue is that most people see children’s literature as a hobby, and as something secondary. I am often asked, when will I write for ‘everyone’. I genuinely don’t know what that means. When its picture books, people want to know when will you write a ‘real book’. Writing for children is a craft, one of the most difficult. It’s an audience that’s tricky and won’t take well to being talked down to.

That said, I think what’s amazing is how the children’s book people in India (many of us) have rallied together. We support each other, laud the others on their achievements and read each other’s books. Head to the bookstore of a children’s literature fest and you will see the authors-illustrators clustering there, buying each other’s books and getting them signed.

Silly but important question based on Harry Potter (just like you, we’re huge fans of the book)- which character do you most identify with? 

Difficult, very difficult. Thanks for throwing me into a conundrum. I finally empathise with the Sorting Hat. I think it would be Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, because I was quite the oddball in school – scared of my own shadow and the other looming shadows of classmates and teachers and subsequently, in my own la la land. That said, my team calls me Lupin or McGonagall, depending on the day.

We love the fact that you only buy from independent bookstores, avoid online book purchases and try to keep your book collection secondhand. Tell us about bookstores you love and recommend in Mumbai and Bangalore?

Rohan Chakravarty has spilled all my secrets, hasn’t he? I love independent bookstores and how they support literature. But especially the children’s books people. If you’re in Mumbai, go to Kahani Tree, climb up the stairs to reach this magical space full of picture books and kid-lit from India and across the world. Sangeeta Bhansali and her team will have the best reccos here. Also, head to Trilogy (I am so excited to visit their new Bandra space next week), and meet Ahalya and Meethil and find out about the latest in books or just quietly browse and sigh.  

In Bangalore, my second office is Lightroom Bookstore. My team and I are usually found there, when not at work, talking to Aashti Mudnani and her team of Deepa and Sarita. It’s absolutely warm and welcoming and you can ask them for recommendations as well. Then there’s Funky Rainbow that travels to different parts of Bangalore and has an enviable Indian kid-lit collection. Also, a new bookstore in town, Champaca, with a café and a view to match.

A book you wish you’d read as a child?

Harry Potter, imagine being 11 and reading it as Harry gets his letter.

What advice would you give to children who want to be writers and writers who want to be children?

To children, write! Read. Then write. And read more. Don’t be in a hurry to get published. Assimilate experiences. Share your stories. Get outdoors and observe. Write about what you observe. Eavesdrop and write it down. Write what’s funny, what’s sad, what’s silly, what’s banal. And read some more.

To writers who want to be children, we were all children once. Read. Some find it easier to inhabit that space when we were children. Read. Think back, try squeezing into the little shoes that you once wore. Read. Don’t assume and presume. Research. Observe. Read it out loud. It’s all right there, in your head. Oh, and read.