Source :
Times of India
Author
Namita Gokhalelaunched her latest book titled
Lost In Time: Ghatotkacha And The Game Of lllusions at the third edition of the
Times Litfest held in New Delhi. “It’s a fun book on time travel which has been told from the point of view of a 14-year-old boy,” Gokhale told a packed house. She had been toying with the idea for 10 years.
Known for her books on strong women protagonists and topics which concern adults, Gokhale says she finds writing for children a challenge she was willing to take. “It is way more demanding, but I love writing for this age group. Unlike other authors who write stories that parents of children would like them to read, I want to focus on my audience as perfectly capable, thinking beings. I don’t believe in any dilution,” Gokhale added. She makes it a point to keep her tone as non-preachy as possible.
To keep her book in sync with the mindset of the millennials, Gokhale said it was pertinent that she got her research in place. “There are a few paragraphs where I have described a football match. Since, I am not aware of the terminology, I requested a popular football commentator in India to have a look-see. There is no compromise when you write for children, they can be great critics,” she said.
The author read out her favourite passage from the book where she talks about the secrets of the forests. ” I have always believed that trees can talk. It is us who have no time to hear them out patiently,” she said, adding that children these days are far removed from Nature. “I want them to explore and experience their surroundings through books. It’s better than being buried in their tech gadgets,” the author added.
Her favourite character from the Mahabharata? “Bheem, because he is the strongest yet the simplest,” Gokhale said in conclusion.