For writers and illustrators of books for children, the pandemic has changed lives in ways different from those for adult authors. Of cours...
For writers and illustrators of books for children, the pandemic has changed lives in ways different from those for adult authors. Of course, books have moved or stalled, for some contracts have been arbitrarily cancelled. Yet, if anything, the interaction with children has continued to be a constant, often with no concomitant book sales. And there has also been a sustained effort at community building.
Six children’s authors – Anushka Ravishankar, Asha Nehemiah, Natasha Sharma, Venita Coelho, Siddhartha Sarma and Devika Rangachari, two illustrators – Priya Kuriyan and Shilpa Ranade, and one author illustrator Lavanya Karthik – talk about what the creation and publishing of books has been like since March 2020, when the pandemic struck.
How has the pandemic affected your work life?
Devika Rangachari: At the start of the pandemic and the consequent lockdown, my writing life was affected quite profoundly. I found myself unable to focus, and even when I forced myself to sit before the computer, my mind kept wandering and worrying, and it was difficult to write anything much. However, as the days wore on, I decided to take another look at my writing deadlines and began to work – slowly, at first. I have now reached a stage where I...
