Like many ideas, the Book Retreat emerged from a frustration. I was frustrated that a group of Editors at Pratham Books, one in particular whom I have followed from the side lines and whom I know to be intelligent, thoughtful, charming and determined could not see what I was pointing out about books in general and some in particular. I could have given up. Signed out and retreated. But I chose a different strategy, not consciously at the time but definitely emerging from my hope and vision for children and books in India. A sense that if we do not work together, this fragile group of writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, library educators, teachers and parents will polarise into irrelevance. So I wrote out a plan and shared it.
What emerged from four months of scattered, intermittent emails, and enthusiasm from Suzie Singh who leads Pratham Books, was a date with four Editors of Pratham Books at Bookworm Goa. The day dawned, wet and wonderful. Into the narrow front room of the Bookworm library arrived four remarkable women. I was immediately struck by a certain independent aura each one of them held, yet they smiled and laughed together and graciously followed us to our retreat-ing space.
We settled down and time flew, as it does when you are truly immersed in something and it is joyful. For hours (with breaks in between) we spoke, shared, listened, had ‘aahaa ‘moments and vibed with each other.
Some particularly major take- aways for me were that despite everything we imagine the internet is doing for us in terms of communication – nothing compares to meeting people in real time and being present with them. I would have never known the light that shines in Bijal’s eyes when an idea resonates with her and she wants to record it almost immediately. I would have never seen and marvelled at the little images tattooed on Sheena’s wrist that offer varying perspectives as she moves her hands. How would I have ever realised that Yamini is such a considerate listener except from the stillness that comes into her being when she is actively listening and Shinibali showed me how body posture collaborates with her ideas. When she is sure of something she sits straight and delivers her thoughts and when she is learning and listening she curls in to catch everything and is fully aware. Nothing could have given me these insights and this feeling of wonder that we are human beings in a human world and we must move forward together.
The ladies, all four of them were so easy to be with, so warm and accepting of my hard ideas and sharp thoughts that I felt I had so much to learn from them. I too listened. I too felt that in my own niche of Bookworm and Goa, a small storm of larger ideas, more experiences, diverse challenges blew into our room briefly and like a good all – woman sailing team we rode this well. We did not agree with everything, we did not even have the same immediate goals and objectives on everything but we were committed to listening and learning.
I learnt that the craft of writing for children in the Picture Book form is an immense struggle in the country. It naturally enabled me to think of this as a possible growth area for Bookworm Professional Development work. Ideas come unbidden.
I also learnt that all these thoughtful Editors are steeped in books. They read and read some more. They collect and buy books voraciously and review, research and refresh themselves to serve their Publisher better. And still despite the large number of books they are familiar with, Bookworm had books to share and show. I was heartened by this, because the collection in a library must be diverse and more distinct from a personal collection. We had a conversation around the ‘life’ of libraries, their relevance versus home collections and it was startling to note that none of the Editors who live in metro cities in this country had access to high quality children’s collections through libraries. One of life’s ironies is that the Bookworm collection is not explored by any writers / publishers/ illustrators in Goa and one more seed dropped here for my idea bank.
Because of the nature of questions raised by the Editors, some of us at Bookworm were able to rediscover our collection anew. This is such a wonderful opportunity in the library. So when Yamini was interested in Non Fiction titles that ’say it as it is’, I could share Bridges amongst others with her and this one resonated. I have previously used this text when curating a collection around built form and here I could show case it differently.
Similarly, we were so excited to share ‘form’ with Sheena who is an art editor and see her delight in The Cycle’s Dream by Prabhat, illustrated by Bidyut Rai and, Rokuuroo..Why does the Rooster Crow? by Sangeetha, Sandhya and Pavithra, illustrated by K.Chandana and others, both produced under different projects of the IDC, IIT Powai. I am still thinking about Bijal’s question around books themed about climate change. While some obvious ones immediately spring to mind, it was an opportunity to show and share books where the gateway need not be at the front of the theme. So a book like Where Once there was a Wood by Fleming Denise is about a squirrel / chipmunk and his life in Spring, but in the illustrations it is also about so much more. Similarly One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul a biography on Isatou Ceesay is also a life lesson in a subtle, powerful way through action for ecological sanity. Many titles emerged on the floor between us all and it was almost like a book party.
We also looked at Hands around the library by Susan L. Roth, Karen Leggett Abouraya, as a book with multiple doorways. On the one hand it is a book about saving the Alexandria library, but in another doorway it is a book about the community responding to the relevance of the library as a space for their voices, in yet another doorway it is a book of the most striking visual art and layout and still more, it is a book that can talk about citizenship, democracy, action and agency.
We asked the Editors to do some homework. I know, perhaps only we would dare, but they took their small sets of books to their hotel and read into the night and conferenced early morning, gleefully extolling virtues of some books like The Baby Tree by Sophie Blackall and Water by Frank Asch as well as comparing the classic Seeds and More Seeds by Milicent Ellis Selsam and The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. Shinibali did a thorough, in-depth, thoughtful review of The Watcher by Jeannette Winter ad Me Jane by Patrick McDonnell sharing what resonated with her in the texts and why she would choose The Watcher over Me Jane. I learnt so much from that listening. I had never looked at the perspective of the author’s philosophical voice in Me Jane and that emerged as a strong learning for me amongst so many more.
With a ticking clock, glorious distractions around sharing our Cholta Cholta book journey and understanding more about the ‘kunbi sari’ of Goa, we shared a gateway around a thematic curation that enables perspectives to open up. It was good to share how one theme can have so many points of views, perspectives and forms and how perhaps in making decisions of which one to choose, the diversity in the book theme may emerge stronger. We held that thought for a while and realised that it was time to end our retreat. We had to split up and depart but not without warm and welcoming invitations to me to visit personal libraries of some of the Editors and more chats in the future.
As I said bye bye to four ladies, I felt I was in the best place ever, the library – where everything is possible and it is always joyful. I retreated inside to join the books and my team where more stories awaited.