The rain tree hall at Catholic Club on January 11 was abuzz with activity and infectious excitement as it was the day of not one but two book launches held by I-Browse, written by two very special authors.
“It took me around 11 months to write it,” said a visibly excited yet fairly composed 12-year old author Vindhya Vishwanath, introducing her novel-‘Campsite Creeps’ at the book launch. Having a fully-fledged novel to her credit whilst children of her age barely have any literary pursuits at all, Vindhya flashes her gleeful smile before confessing to have been a voracious reader who has read as many as 500 books, before churning a book of her own.
Marianne and Vindhya at the launch
“It is for us parents to encourage them toward reading and throw open the world of joy that books offer,” said Vishwanath, Vindhya’s father, adding that his initial efforts of making Vindhya take to reading have led her to this laudable accomplishment today. The little author then went on to speak about her initial manuscript that was handwritten and the ups and downs that it faced en route to publishing, before reading out some enrapturing passages from her novel. An adventure thriller revolving around the exciting experiences of 5 children and 2 pet dogs on a camp, the book is for all those who have themselves enjoyed the outdoors.
This was followed by the much awaited part of the evening, the launch of Marianne De Nazareth’s second book and first novel-‘Above the rice fields of Pilerne’. Very well known for her far-stretching career as a journalist, the creative story-teller in her comes alive through this compelling read that revolves around three generations of a Goan household in Pilerne, a tiny village that boasts of acres of rich rice fields that exist even today. A must read for all those who cherish old traditions and warm family ties and those with Goan roots would enjoy the book even more.
Marianne receiving the bouquet of flowers
Talking of his wife’s impeccable literary prowess and an equally endearing sense of empathy that never putsdown another, Gregory De Nazareth said, “She will always go on to enrich, educate and entertain us with her resourceful writing. But she is even better a human, always keen on upholding peoples’ positives and helping them get better. She is a godmother to a great deal of youngsters, not only inspiring them, but also helping them carve a niche for themselves.” He went on to narrate interesting anecdotes of the Furtados in Pilerne and spoke of some lesser known Goan traditions that the book revolves around.
Marianne then took over; reading a fascinating passage from the book that elaborately narrated the feast of St. Baptist, a celebrated occasion in Pilerne. It was a glimpse enough to entice us all into the story. Questions followed and she went on to explain that though the book is largely fictional, gathering impetus from her fond memories of vacations in their ancestral home of Pilerne, it did find real-life inspiration as well.
As she was felicitated by fellow book lovers and the discussion continued, the evening could not get any better. The latest addition to her already in-exhaustive list of feats is this one, a splendid book launch of her own whilst giving wings to the dreams of a 12-year old.
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