WEBVTT
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Hi, I'm Ali.
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Hi, I'm Katie,
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and welcome to episode 43 of the amazing podcast, Mostly Book Talk.
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We have Rashmi Serdesh Pandi with us, who is going to talk to us about her new middle grade, Hari Kumar, Ultimate Superstar, and also her upcoming picture book, Super Uma.
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Enjoy.
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We're very pleased to welcome Rashmi Serdish Pandi, who's written picture books including Dojati's Paintbrush and Never Show a T-Rexer book.
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A non-fiction including Amazing Asia, which we interviewed you about back in December 2024.
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So you can go back and listen about that, which was a beautiful book.
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She now has not just one, but two books out.
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Her first middle grade fiction, Hari Kumar, Ultimate Superstar, which is a doodle-filled diary-style story of friendship, identity, and big dreams, and also a new picture book, Super Uma, which is all about teamwork and empathy with the superhero twist.
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So welcome, Rashmi.
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Thank you for having me back.
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Welcome.
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Can we start with Hari Kumar and just give us an overview of the book and just give an idea of what goes on?
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Sure.
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So this is the first in a Shiny Near series.
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It's a funny doodle diary illustrated by Mamta Singh.
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It's a sort of seven, eight plus, and it is all about this kid.
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He's smart, he's cheeky.
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Like me, he's autistic and has ADHD, and he's got some big feelings and some really, really big Bollywood dreams.
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Um, and this is his journal, his way of exploring his thoughts and feelings, suggested by his learning support teacher.
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But really, Hari's using this journal to document his rise to greatness for his future fans.
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That's his thing with this.
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It's just a lot of fun.
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Yeah, and the format is obviously diary style with lots of illustrations.
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And why did you choose this as the format for this new series?
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I just love diary style books.
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I love them.
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And every school I go into, hands will shoot up if you ask them if they've read things like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates, Loki.
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I think that journal style just really appeals to children because you're transported right into the brain of these characters, all of their dreams, their bad choices.
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And I love characters who make bad choices.
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Hari makes a fair few of them himself.
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And I love characters who sort of love themselves because when they're exploring things in their journal, it's just main character energy.
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They're bringing it to the page.
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And I get to really have fun with that as a writer.
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And also bringing in those doodles from Mantha, I think it just makes it such a fun and accessible reading experience.
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You've got the journal bit, but you've also got quite a few side comments, haven't you?
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Because he's kind of talking to his learning support teacher who's suggested that he write the journal, but then he's also talking to the reader.
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There's quite a lot going on there, isn't there?
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Yes, there is.
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I love the asides.
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I think that's just how my brain works.
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I'll send an email to my editor and there'll be a lot of stuff in brackets.
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And then I have to sort of remove some of them because I realize that maybe not everyone thinks like this.
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But when I have a thought, it spirals out into something else and into something else.
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And I love that with Hari, I got to actually just do that with this book because it's fully justified.
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It's who he is, it's who I am.
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So it's a very voicey book.
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And yes, because he's writing to his future fans, he'll kind of translate things.
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He'll sort of say, Hindi speakers, bear with me for a moment.
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I'm gonna like lay this out.
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Or he talks to his neurodivergent fans and he says, Bear with me, I'm gonna get us all on the same page here.
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You know what I'm talking about.
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Because I always wondered writing a book like this, as a marginalized person, you're writing about kind of an intersectional experience here, right?
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South Asian kid who is also neurodivergent.
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But you don't want to be assuming that your readers are not those things.
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So, with this format, I got to really play with that and have fun with it, where he sort of high-fives people who are similar to him, but explains his world and expresses himself for those who may be new to the table, new to the party.
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Yeah.
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Did you explore how Hari thinks about his autism and his ADHD?
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How important was that for you to represent that and to show that?
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So it's interesting when people ask me this because actually he is that way because I am that way and my kids.
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And I just wanted to write a funny book.
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I didn't set out to add to books that represent certain kids, although I love that it does that.
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But I actually just set out to write a funny book.
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And what I did was share my own experience and the inner workings of my brain and my big feelings and my kids.
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There's a lot of my kids in Hari because he has a kind of joyfulness and confidence that I honestly didn't have at that age.
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I really didn't, but they do because they are diagnosed young and supported in their schools because of the kinds of schools they go to.
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They're very lucky.
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And Hari is equally very lucky.
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So when we talk in our house, we're very open about neurodivergence and the adjustments that we need, and we use that vocabulary.
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So Hari does.
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And it was a conscious choice.
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I could have made him undiagnosed like me, and that would have been a really valuable story, actually, because so many kids will go through that.
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But the reason I chose to have him talk so openly is one, because we do in our house, and two, because there is still so much stigma, especially in South Asian communities, around autism and ADHD.
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And when I discussed this with other writer friends, they said, Oh, do you really want to be labeling it?
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Do you want to?
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I said, actually, you know what?
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Because of this community, I do.
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I want them to see a kid who embraces it the way my kids do, the way I do.
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And actually, that's been transformative because the messages I've had from people who were worried about going through the whole process of a diagnosis with their kids and have said, actually, reading this, we're going for it.
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Because it's just changed their perspective on it.
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It was worth it for that reason.
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And so many kids who see themselves in these cages, who can relate, connect.
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It's worth it, I think, having a character who was actually living his best life.
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Because I think characters like this are sometimes in stories of struggle, and that matters, those are important, they face struggles.
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But then we also need to have stories where they're literally just living the life because they are very well supported, they are very self-aware, and they are happy in and of themselves.
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And it's quite interesting, isn't it?
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Because actually his struggle is about being a Bollywood star.
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Yeah.
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That's the thing that he's found me and not supportive of.
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Yeah, that's his thing.
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And even at school, he's got a nemesis.
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There's an ancient rivalry with this kid, Martin.
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But Martin isn't actually mean to Hari because he's neurodivergent.
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Martin's just a Martin.
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You know, he's just a comic flat character who's just a little bit grumpy.
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And because Hari happens to be there, he's mean to everybody.
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And Hari's just kind of picked him as his sort of Bollywood style rival because everyone needs a villain.
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But it's not about him being autistic or about him having ADHD.
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And I thought that would be fun to play with too.
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And Hari gets to make bad choices.
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I was discussing this with Bramseed, the author of the Cheat Book series, which I love.
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And we were saying how sometimes marginalized characters have to be really good and very role-modell-y because there aren't so many of them.
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So they need to be gooder than good.
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And actually, sometimes we just want to be a bit silly and we want to make bad choices and we want to have big dreams and love ourselves and go off on a tangent in life.
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And Hari gets to do that.
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So I love that my editors let me have a character that does love himself and does make bad decisions.
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He's obsessed with being a star, isn't he?
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This being a Bollywood star.
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But it's something that his family is not particularly supportive of.
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And they're very supportable in all sorts of other ways.
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But why did you want that tension in there?
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Look, I I do play a little bit into the South Asian tropes.
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You know what?
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It's really funny.
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They recognize this.
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You've got the super supportive parents, but it's like when it comes to the arts, there's a feeling of, okay, but what's your backup?
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Just set up your career and then do whatever you want, my love.
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That is quite universal, actually.
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I think parents are like, that's really exciting, but it's a slightly risky option.
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Exactly.
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So I had to have a bit of that in my.
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And I've been pleasantly surprised, delighted, in fact, that that has been the case.
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And people love it.
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Even if they're completely new to Bollywood, he's just a kid.
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He's got big dreams.
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Everyone can connect with that.
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If someone's coming to Bollywood for the first time, where should we start?
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Where should we go?
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I've got you.
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I think you should start with a movie called Om Shanti Om, O-N, S-H-A-N-T-I-O-M, because it's a spoof on Bollywood.
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It is big, it's fun, it's colourful, and it kind of makes fun of itself in that it's got all that drama intensity that I was talking about.
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It's just sort of peak Bollywood, I think.
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And really super fun.
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And that's the movie that I had in my mind when I was writing this.
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We will check that out.
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What does definitely come across is even if you don't know Bollywood, that sense that it is, as you say, big, fun, loud, and joyous.
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And that comes across and obviously links into the story.
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Tell us about the aunties.
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They're a recurring fear for Hari, aren't they?
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Oh, Auntie Pooja, yeah, who should really be Pooja Auntie, but she's trying to be Western there.
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Yes.
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And I think for a lot of cultures, actually, auntie culture is a thing.
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They kind of aunties, eye on everything, the competitive spirit, my daughter's off to science camp thing.
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I mean, this is cross-culture stuff, but I had to have it in the book because it's something that so many of us grow up with.
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She's not really an auntie, she's a neighbor, but that makes her an auntie.
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And she is actually quite a driving force in Hari's life in that she's kind of questioning what are you going to do with yourself?
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And that becomes such a thing for him.
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It becomes a recurring nightmare to go along with his usual standard recurring nightmares of his teeth falling out.
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Again, that's very personal.
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That's trauma.
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If I'm having a tough time, I will have a teeth falling out dream.
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So Hari now has an auntie dream, Auntie Puja dream to add to that.
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But he wants to prove himself to her.
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I had to always, with every book, think about what is Hari's motivation.
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And of course, one of his motivations is going to be time to shine, time to opportunity to be a star.
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But we always need a bit more.
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So in this, that bit more is coming from wanting to prove it to Auntie Puja and to beat his nemesis, Martin.
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So we've got all of these kind of mixed motivations building him up.
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And there's a side story of Pinky as well, because you you feel for her a bit.
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Yes, you do.
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Pinky, exactly.
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Pinky, aka Priyanka from the year above.
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That's Auntie Puja's daughter.
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She's really tough.
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I mean, this girl is so good at sport.
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You would not want to run into her in the corridor.
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She's built like a rock.
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But there's more to her than that.
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And what I love with this book is I really got to play with some stereotypes with these characters because you've got this super tough character, but then she has a really surprising hobby, which is so gentle and lovely.
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And she's not what she seems on the inside.
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And same with Hari's grandmas.
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When I say grandma, I ask kids this when I go on school trips.
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What do you imagine?
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You might have an image in your head of what they're like and what they do with their time.
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But let's meet Hari's grandmas.
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One is like a hotshot business boss of a massive sweets empire in India, and she's all about winning and ambition.
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And another one, Mammy, his French grandma, she's an amazing coder.
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So I like have fun with stereotypes and smashing them to bits.
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And I got to do that with this story, which was fun.
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Yeah.
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I did laugh at when he's walking down the street and he's like, I can't let the auntie see me.
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Or if I do, I have to say particular things.
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We've all been there, and especially with the Indian Auntie Network.
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Now with WhatsApp, this is a whole new level.
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I don't need to deal with that.
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But now, if you are seen by an auntie, that news will have reached like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka by lunch.
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You know, you're only out at 10 a.m.
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in the morning.
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Reporting back on you.
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Yeah.
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Goodness.
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Is it a three-book deal for Hari?
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Yes, a three-book deal.
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I've seen the cover of the second one, it's already out in the wild, isn't it?
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Yes, it's coming out in August.
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The cover is out.
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It's called Hari Kumar Ultimate Superstar Going for Gold.
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Because in that book, he is going to try and shine on Sports Day, aka the literal worst day of the year, where Hari's concerned.
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He is not sporty.
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He doesn't have a sporty bone in his body, bless him.
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But his friend Lily is a house rep this year.
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She's really going for it.
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She is sporty.
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And he is going to do the Bollywood thing of stepping up as a friend, even though she kind of secretly wishes he wouldn't.
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Coming up to everything to win some sports day bling for her and for the house.
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Because their house has never won sports day before.
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So stakes are high.
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Martin obviously is on the other side.
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It's gonna be a lot of fun.
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I'm really proud of that book, actually.
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It was therapeutic writing it, because I'm also really bad at sport.
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So yeah, I work through some things writing on.
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Quite a lot of working through things in this movie.
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This is like therapy where I get paid by a publisher.
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So great.
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Love it.
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That sounds good.
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So then presumably you're busy writing as well, then the third one.
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Yes, exactly.
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So I've been on tour for book one while editing book two.
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So now that's in Mamta's hands.
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She's doing the art.
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And I'm now writing book three, which will be out in February.
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So we've got a six-month gap between books.
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And if they like it, maybe they'll ask me to write more.
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Who knows?
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I'm trying to focus on book three for now because I want to get that time.
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Yeah.
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Do you find when you're out on tour that you have to try and remember what's happened in because you're talking about one book, but you've written another book and then you're starting a third book.
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Do you struggle to remember what's in which one?
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Oh yes, completely.
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I usually start my answers to kids with, I did write this, I promise.
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Let's check my page in the book.
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Because kids know books better than authors sometimes.
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So I love that.
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Like they'll have read it twice before you even enter the room.
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And they know things inside out that you've forgotten, which is a joy, really.
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But I do have to do a little refresh before I enter the room.
00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:12.559
I think.
00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:12.960
Yeah.
00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:18.720
I've seen authors at book quizzes when there's been a question on that, one of their own books, and they haven't got the answer right.
00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:19.840
We do so much.
00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:22.080
And the way publishing schedules work as well.
00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:29.519
And if you're someone like me that writes picture books and non-fiction and the fiction, I mean, there's no way I'm gonna remember details.
00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:31.759
But that's quite a nice thing to share with children.
00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:36.159
I feel we find it quite endearing that we don't know that much, but we know where to look for it.
00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:39.039
You've launched it out into the world.
00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:40.639
So let's chat about Supa Uma.
00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:43.039
It's so sparkly.
00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:44.559
It's about sparkly.
00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:52.320
It's very different, but it's got some similar themes about a character who's overwhelmed by colours and sound and the importance of empathy and teamwork.
00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:54.720
Do you want to tell us a bit more about it?
00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:55.360
Sure.
00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:58.559
So, yes, it is a comics-y book.
00:14:58.559 --> 00:15:01.120
I'd say it has comics-y, superhero-y vibes.
00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:09.360
It really plays on some well-loved superhero-y tropes, but with hopefully a fresh twist because you've got this South Asian kid in her gar gray.
00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:10.799
That's the skirt that she's wearing.
00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:12.879
And she's got her nani, who's very Indian.
00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:16.720
She's wearing a nine-yard sari, very traditional for like my area of India, actually.
00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:18.480
They're not even worn all over India.
00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:27.039
So I love that we got to have a grandma like that on the page in a superhero y story and a unicorn sidekick, because South Asian kids don't get unicorn sidekicks.
00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:28.080
And I was like, well, why not?
00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:31.600
My daughter, unfortunately, has grown out of her love of unicorns.
00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.039
But once upon a time, she kind of had unicorn blood running through her.
00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:36.159
She's that obsessed.
00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:40.080
So why shouldn't kids like her have a unicorn buddy?
00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:42.000
So we've got this unicorn buddy called Ship.
00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:46.559
When they live in Sparklepolis, which is bright and colourful and fun, always something happening.
00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:47.600
Everybody loves it.
00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:48.879
Why wouldn't you?
00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:53.039
And the reality is, well, actually, not everybody does love it all the time.
00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:55.120
Sometimes it's just a bit too much.
00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:59.600
And so the sparkle stone that kind of drives all the sparkle and colour in the city goes missing.
00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:03.120
And Uma and her friends end up on this quest to retrieve it.
00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:11.919
But when they do, what they discover is that there is someone in the city, actually quite a few people, who struggle with all the sparkle and colour and noise.
00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:16.080
And maybe what they really need to do is create some inclusive, accessible spaces for them.
00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:19.039
And that's making it sound a bit messagy as I describe it, but it's really not.
00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:20.879
It's a super fun story.
00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:27.360
And it just so happens that the ending gets us to a place where we appreciate that actually spaces need to be inclusive.
00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:32.639
And sometimes even the thing that's really fun, even for someone who finds it fun, it can be too much.
00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:40.000
And when I say someone, I mean me, people like me, and Knuckle, actually, the illustrator, this is his first picture book.
00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:47.039
And we share this in that we can find all of that brightness and colour and sparkle and noise a bit too much.
00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:49.759
So those adjustments make a huge difference to us.
00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:57.600
I'm the only person on the school run, for example, wearing sunglasses all year round, you know, the darkest depths of winter, but I need my sunglasses.
00:16:57.600 --> 00:16:58.879
It's too bright for me.
00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:00.480
I just need those adjustments.
00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:01.200
Fair enough.
00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:03.039
So yeah, it is very sparkly.
00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:04.000
We liked sparkles.
00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:06.400
And who doesn't love a unicorn?
00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:08.960
And which character did you start with?
00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:13.519
So I started with Uma, and the whole the book actually was originally called Uma the Amazing.
00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:15.359
And then Poppin suggested Super Uma.
00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:16.079
I said, fine.
00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:17.440
They were really, really sure about it.
00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:18.400
I said, go for it then.
00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:20.160
Do you know this is your business.
00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:21.440
You know it's gonna work.
00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:25.039
And actually, then the three of them popped up altogether.
00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:29.680
Because once I knew it was gonna be this kid who was kind of bright and very much like my daughter, actually.
00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:32.960
My daughter used to wake up and say, Today's gonna be the best day ever.
00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:34.960
And she said it every single day for years.
00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:37.200
That was the first thing she would say to me for years.
00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:41.759
So I wanted a kid that captured that kind of energy and excitement for life.
00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:45.039
And then the two other characters popped up around her.
00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:45.519
Nice.
00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:47.359
You clearly had lots of fun writing it.
00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:50.240
There's a sense of that happiness and this the sort of energy.
00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:55.359
Was there a bit of it that you just thought, yes, this is really just captures what I wanted in this book?
00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:57.440
I think it's the voice, actually.
00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:06.720
It's that sort of, like I said, it re I really got to play on the superhero e tropes with the way the storyteller, the narrator, is speaking to the child reader.
00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:11.680
I can't really explain it, but when you read it, you know it's just it's that voice.
00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:12.960
I love a voicey book.
00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:14.640
All my books are actually quite voicy.
00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:19.200
I guess that's why Hari's this first-person middle grade diary, because I get to speak like that.
00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:24.480
Never show a T-Rex, a book, my very first picture book with Diane Ewan, it was also quite voicey.
00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:27.839
I just like that, like playing with voice, it's fun voice.
00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:36.079
And I noticed that when I do that, children memorize those words really quickly because they like how it sounds, they like being that narrator.
00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:40.160
And after a few reads of the story, we want that as picture book writers, right?
00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:42.079
We want them to be reading these again and again.
00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:44.319
They will be saying those words themselves.
00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:44.799
Yeah.
00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.519
I like the nanny um her scooter.
00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:57.279
That scene, there's this epic scene where their Uma and Chiff are off to track down the sparkle stone, and you know, obviously they're they can't go very fast because they're little legs, bless them.
00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:04.400
And then Nanny vrooms by on her scooter and she's like, Don't just stand there, like a pair of lemons, jump on, and they vroom through the city.
00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:06.559
It's so epic and cinematic.
00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:09.039
But they do have to take a detour to the library.
00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:12.960
Yeah, because sort of return that library book, all so very important.
00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:14.400
But then we pick up the pace again.
00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:16.720
It's being able to do fun stuff like that.
00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:18.880
It was like a cartoon in a book for me.
00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:29.680
I got to write the cartoon of my dreams in book form, and then Claire Doughty, the art director, found Knuckle on Instagram and was just like, This illustrator is perfect for it.
00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:30.559
And he really is.
00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:37.119
I love how he's pulled in sort of Indian and Asian influences into the kind of cityscapes.
00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:40.480
Again, in that superhero world, you don't often see that.
00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:42.559
It's really fun, everything that he's done with it.
00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:47.119
You're writing the middle grade, presumably at the same time, as a picture book in this instance.
00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:47.680
Oh, yes.
00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:49.680
How's it different working with illustrators?
00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:54.079
Because obviously, you just said that Nakul was a new illustrator, brand new for you.
00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:57.119
And for Mamta Singh, have you worked them before?
00:19:57.440 --> 00:19:59.839
No, Mamta Singh, in fact, was a muralist.
00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:01.680
She wasn't even in the world of children's books.
00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:03.359
Again, art director.
00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:10.559
Actually, I've this has happened a lot with me, where the art directress found a complete debut and then hand held them through the process of doing a children's book.
00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:11.519
And you would just never know.
00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:14.160
I did a Wind in the Willows retelling with Jojo Clinch.
00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:15.279
She was a debut then too.
00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:17.680
But if you look at that book, it is stunning.
00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:20.079
She does not look like a first-time illustrator.
00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:23.279
That's the magic of a great art director, just like a great editor.
00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:29.440
So in Mamta's case, she was a muralist and we saw her portfolio of kind of murals that she had done.
00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:37.440
I'm talking things like live drawing at a corporate meeting or on a cafe wall, incredible stuff, but not children's books.
00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:39.920
And we just asked her, would you give this a go?
00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:41.519
And I think she's done brilliantly.
00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:43.200
She's worked so hard on this.
00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:44.640
What a learning curve.
00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:47.519
But children love the art and grown-ups love the art.
00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:48.079
I love the art.
00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:48.319
Yeah.
00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:50.799
So, in terms of being a muralist, did she draw people?
00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:51.359
Yeah.
00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:51.839
Okay.
00:20:51.839 --> 00:20:55.200
So not like big wall murals, but like actual these things.
00:20:55.200 --> 00:20:56.400
No, and big wall murals.
00:20:56.559 --> 00:20:57.599
So say you have a big change.
00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:04.880
Yeah, it's quite a change, like a big office space where an entire wall will be just doody mural art.
00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:05.759
Things like that.
00:21:05.759 --> 00:21:09.440
And if I'm explaining it well, but yeah, completely different world.
00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:14.319
She had that characterization, she had that fun, she's definitely got a lot of comedy in what she does.
00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:19.039
There were a lot of synergies, but it was a steep mountain to climb for her.
00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:20.880
But I guess it was for me too on the text.
00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:23.759
Like people keep forgetting that I'm not a novelist.
00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:29.440
So for me, I was learning on the job how to write a novel with the help of my editor.
00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:33.759
And did you write all the words and then her illustrate it?
00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:36.079
Or was it a process between the two of you?
00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:36.640
No.
00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:40.240
So just as it is with picture books, the text will be finished, it will settle down.
00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:49.200
And then what happens is with middle grade, it gets laid to actually with any book, it gets laid to page, meaning the art director will decide you will have space here for the art.
00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:51.519
This is the kind of size of image we're looking for.
00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:58.319
And even with picture books with Nakul, the art director would say, Okay, this is going to be a big double spread image, or this is going to be little vignettes.
00:21:58.319 --> 00:21:59.759
And they will guide.
00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:03.039
Illustrator to help them think about what kind of image would go here.
00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:03.359
Right.
00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:10.000
With Hari Kumar, that was getting the sides right and that part of it, because they're very much in the illustrations, aren't they?
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:11.200
They're often in a box.
00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:14.319
So that required quite a lot of thinking about, otherwise, it wouldn't quite work.
00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:20.559
The designer Ellerene Grant was absolutely incredible in making that work so that we read it in the right orde r.
00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:27.359
And when it came to recording the audiobook with Jassa Ahluwalia, which is absolutely wonderful because he's an actor, he's really inhabited Hari.
00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:32.880
Those are sides were even more interesting because he had to read the text and do it, by the way, all in the audio.
00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:33.759
That's interesting.
00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:34.880
I haven't listened to the audio.
00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:35.599
That sounds good.
00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:38.559
Are you finding that lots of kids are coming to it through the audio?
00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:40.799
Or do you have you not been out enough yet to know?
00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:45.680
I haven't been out enough to see that, but I have had feedback that some people are using both, which is lovely.
00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:54.559
One person told me one child is dyslexic, and so what they like to do is have the book because they love seeing the art and they love following the text, but they have the audiobook playing as well.
00:22:54.559 --> 00:23:00.319
Another child likes to be doing something else while they're listening to the audio, so they're doing that while this one has the text.
00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:01.920
So people are using it in that way.
00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:06.640
I love that HarperCollins invested in that because not every book gets an audio edition.
00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:07.119
No.
00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:12.079
And then we had this sample from this actual actor who is absolutely brilliant.
00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:17.200
He's an author too of a book called Both Not Half because he talks about his mixed race heritage.
00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:19.519
So who is kind of perfect for this book?
00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:20.319
Excellent.
00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:22.319
So is he going to do all three of them?
00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:23.119
I hope so.
00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:23.759
I think so.
00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:24.480
Exciting.
00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:25.599
Yeah, it's hard, isn't it?
00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:27.759
Once you've got the voice in your head, I'm sure he will.
00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:31.680
Make sure he doesn't get taken off to some Hollywood film.
00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:32.720
Hollywood film.
00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:34.640
Yes, Bollywood or Hollywood, yeah.
00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:38.079
I think he is doing a film actually, not Bollywood, but I think he's doing a rom com.
00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:42.400
Okay, well, just make sure it's not off the other side of the world and he can't.
00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:46.799
They can do it all over the place, for it's not he loves the book though, which is lovely.
00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:48.799
And you can hear that in his reading rather.
00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:49.839
I've been very lucky.
00:23:49.839 --> 00:23:54.319
I feel very lucky overall with the reception of that book, honestly.
00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:56.240
Being on the ground, meeting kids.
00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:03.920
I was at a school where I mentioned to one child while I was signing that book two is coming in August, and I swear it rippled down the signing queue.
00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:04.960
When did she say it's coming?
00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:05.599
Did she say August?
00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:06.240
Did you say August?
00:24:06.240 --> 00:24:06.960
Is it coming in August?
00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:07.519
When's the next one?
00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:07.920
Awesome.
00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:09.119
Oh, that's so nice.
00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:10.400
That's so nice.
00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:10.880
Yeah.
00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:12.160
So lovely.
00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:21.119
It is really hard, I think, when you're a kid when you discover a series with the first book and then you have to wait because it seems it's so long for them.
00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:21.759
Yes.
00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:22.240
It is.
00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:24.720
My daughter keeps reminding me of this because she is 10.
00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:29.359
So if I say something like, Oh, it's just two years away, she's like, Do you know what percentage of my life that is?
00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:31.119
I'm like, oh gosh, you're right.
00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:33.519
That's actually a really, really long time.
00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:39.119
So I'm hoping that gives me some impetus to finish book three because there is so much excitement.
00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:44.000
But it is a double-edged sword because on the one hand, it's really exciting and it's fuel for creativity.
00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:52.799
But on the other hand, it can really freeze you out as an author because people loving book one so much kind of raises the bar for book three.
00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:54.079
You know what I mean?
00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:56.240
The difficult second album.
00:24:56.480 --> 00:24:56.799
Yes.
00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:58.400
Although, no, my second album is great.
00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:00.240
We've done that one.
00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:02.240
It's the difficult third album.
00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:03.440
There isn't one.
00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:04.400
It'll be fine.
00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:05.359
It'll be fine, right?
00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:06.880
If you do the second one, you're fine.
00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:07.279
You're fine.
00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:08.000
Well that's true.
00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:09.119
That's supposed to be the tricky one.
00:25:09.119 --> 00:25:10.319
So we did that, nailed that.
00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:11.759
I'm just weirdly proud of it.
00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:14.319
I know sometimes it's really cringy reading back your stuff.
00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:17.759
But when I was reading through Hari Two for edits, I genuinely loved it.
00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:20.640
And I'm not saying that in an arrogant way because I don't know where it came from.
00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:22.160
Because like I said, I'm not a novelist.
00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:23.920
I don't identify as a novelist.
00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:25.759
But when I read it, I love it.
00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:32.720
That was some really super good editing and a day or whatever, months of inspiration that created that book.
00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:35.920
And we just need a bit more of that to do it all again.
00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:37.920
I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine.
00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:40.160
Where can people find out where you're gonna pop up?
00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:41.359
Where should they look?
00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:42.240
On your website?
00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:48.000
They should look on my website because after I finish this call, I will finally update it.
00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:50.720
I don't know because a lot of my events have been at schools.
00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:51.200
At school.
00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:58.720
I'm gonna be at Barnes Lipfest, so anyone who is around Battersea, schools in Battersea can get there's free tickets for that, isn't there?
00:25:58.799 --> 00:26:00.799
That's a big massive schools project.
00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:01.839
Yes, exactly.
00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:05.039
So some of my things have been like that rather than public-facing events.
00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:08.559
But if I do have any public-facing events, they will be on my website.
00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:10.240
I will be shouting about them.
00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:16.400
But I am nonstop on tour this year for Hari, obviously, for Superuma coming up.
00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:18.640
I'll be traveling for that in April.
00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:22.240
And then again in May, because the paperback of This Is Who I Am is coming out.
00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:25.279
That is my book for Ruchi Mhasane.
00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:29.200
And that is a poetic picture book about identity and belonging.
00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:30.960
It's a second generation immigrant story.
00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:34.880
But when the paperback comes out, I'll go on tour for that because that book really means a lot to me.
00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:37.039
So yeah, I'll be everywhere and nowhere.
00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:37.440
And right.
00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:39.200
So people people can find you.
00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:43.680
And is there anything else in the works that you're allowed to talk about?
00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:44.240
Nothing.
00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:45.279
Is that enough?
00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:46.079
That's enough.
00:26:46.079 --> 00:26:46.960
That's quite a bit, isn't it?
00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:48.480
Nothing I'm allowed to talk about.
00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:57.119
I have a really beautiful and very epic nonfiction coming out next year, which I can't talk about, but it is epic, is the only way I can describe it.
00:26:57.119 --> 00:27:04.880
And I have more picture books in the works, and they're going to be really beautiful, uplifting stories coming out over the next two years.
00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:06.640
And of course, more Hari.
00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:08.480
Um and who knows, what else?
00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:12.480
Maybe I'll come up with something completely random that I haven't done before because I love doing that.
00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:14.559
I I love the fact I get to do a range of things.
00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:14.880
Yeah.
00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:15.599
It's joke.
00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:16.720
Yeah, it's cool.
00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:22.880
I feel like when publishing opens a little door, you have to stick your foot in it and hopefully hold it open for people after you as well.
00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:28.559
But I definitely stick my foot in it because we don't all always get to do lots of different things in publishing.
00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:30.400
I feel it's very easy to end up in a box.
00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:30.720
Yeah.
00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:35.519
And I think I'm very, very lucky that I have never ended up in a box, Touchwood, and I never intend to.
00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:40.799
Preparing for this and had a look at your range of books, and you've done everything really now.
00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:42.960
All you have to do now is a YA novel.
00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:43.519
Exactly.
00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:44.240
It's in me.
00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:46.079
I have a really gritty YA, actually.
00:27:46.079 --> 00:27:47.039
But not yet.
00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:47.519
Not yet.
00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:48.400
There's time for that.
00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:51.839
I'd also love to do a verse novel, but I wrote to my agent and I said, you know what?
00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:56.559
I've got a verse novel brewing, but don't reply yet to say that this is not the market for it.
00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:57.759
You don't think you can sell it.
00:27:57.759 --> 00:27:58.880
Let me dream a little.
00:27:58.880 --> 00:27:59.759
And do you know what?
00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:03.200
She replied to everything else in my email and didn't even comment on that.
00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:05.519
Which makes me think that yes, there's no market for this.
00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:06.880
And also, Rashmi, what are you doing?
00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:07.680
You're not a poet.
00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:09.519
But you know, never say never.
00:28:09.519 --> 00:28:10.480
Never say never.
00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:11.279
And excellent.
00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:17.920
Our final question in the National Year of Reading is what are your hopes for the National Year of Reading?
00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:23.680
Wow, my hopes are that we really mean it when we invite children to go all in.
00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:30.160
Because I think choice and access are so key when it comes to children and reading.
00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:33.279
And if we're inviting them to read, it has to be on their terms.
00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:41.359
It has to be the thing that excites them, the things that they find irresistible, things that match up with their interests, feel relevant, feel accessible.
00:28:41.359 --> 00:28:49.839
And we need to make sure that those books are available to them in an age where libraries are being decimated and schools barely have them, and librarians, of course, are undervalued.
00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:55.519
I think libraries are going to have a really important role here because libraries are one place where children have choice.
00:28:55.519 --> 00:28:57.519
Because it doesn't cost anything.
00:28:57.519 --> 00:29:01.599
Even the strictest gatekeepers who want them to read that stuffy classic.
00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:01.920
Sorry.
00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:03.839
No disrespect to the classics.
00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:08.400
But the books that maybe don't pull children in, they can always say, okay, look, please borrow this.
00:29:08.400 --> 00:29:14.559
But yes, you can borrow these other books that actually are drawing you and going to get you excited about reading.
00:29:14.559 --> 00:29:17.599
But unfortunately, as I said, libraries are under threat.
00:29:17.599 --> 00:29:20.000
So I hope that we send to them this year.
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:22.559
I hope that we send to children's choice and we really mean it.
00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:27.440
And we do less of the kind of, oh, graphic novels are not reading, or verse novels are not real reading.
00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:29.359
I saw you had Sarah Crossman on.
00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:30.559
I loved her gone for good.
00:29:30.559 --> 00:29:31.279
Brilliant.
00:29:31.279 --> 00:29:34.559
And for my ADHD brain, verse novels are like, what a gift.
00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:35.279
What a gift.
00:29:35.279 --> 00:29:36.400
And for my daughter.
00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:44.240
So I hope we mean it when we say children should choose and they should have agency and they should have access to fantastic books.
00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:46.559
Sorry, that was my very long hope for the National University.
00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:47.680
It's a good one.
00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:48.240
Good one.
00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:55.920
The more choice and the more variety and the more diversity, the better, really, so everyone can find their own niche and their own thing.
00:29:56.400 --> 00:30:03.920
We can't have this stuffiness about audiobooks, about graphic novels, about verse novels, about things like punchy commercial reads.
00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:07.279
Because actually, look at the look at point horror when I was growing up.
00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:10.960
I mean, those flew off the shelves, like Jennifer Killett today.
00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:14.400
And there's a reason why children love those books, or funny books.
00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:20.480
I'm really happy that I've published this funny, accessible book during the National Year of Reading.
00:30:20.480 --> 00:30:24.319
I think we need to stop judging what children are reading.
00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:26.319
Unless, of course, it's toxic, we weren't gonna.
00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:28.799
But that aside, obviously, that's a given.
00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:31.119
And really let them fall in love with it.
00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:32.400
And that would be magic.
00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:33.839
That would set them up for life.
00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:34.240
Yeah.
00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:34.880
Brilliant.
00:30:34.880 --> 00:30:35.839
That's a thank you.
00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:38.960
Thank you so much for your time.
00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:40.240
It's been great talking to you.
00:30:40.240 --> 00:30:41.519
Thank you.
00:30:41.519 --> 00:30:47.519
So really enjoyed Hari Kumar.
00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:50.160
I think it's a good addition to the diary.
00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:51.359
Journal of genre.
00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:52.000
Yeah.
00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:54.240
And it's funny, it's different.
00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:59.680
It's a slightly younger age group, isn't it, than some of the other diaries that are around.
00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:01.680
Maybe not that much younger.
00:31:01.680 --> 00:31:02.960
He's a bit younger, isn't he?
00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:05.200
He's yeah, five, isn't he?
00:31:05.359 --> 00:31:06.160
Year, five or six.
00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:07.920
And I loved all the Bollywood stuff.
00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:14.720
We'll be following up on Rashmi's tip about where to start if you don't know how to navigate the world of Bollywood.
00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:18.960
It definitely made you feel like you might want to, because it sounded like fun.
00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:23.680
And a whole load of family dynamics going on there that were fun too.
00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:28.160
And Super Uma the picture book is just a kind of glorious romp.
00:31:28.160 --> 00:31:28.960
It is, yeah.
00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:33.279
With sparkly, shiny unicorns, What's Not to Love.
00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:34.240
What's not to love.
00:31:34.240 --> 00:31:36.960
There will be definitely an audience for that.
00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:40.640
Hari Kumar, Hari Kumarl would work well as a class book, wouldn't it?
00:31:40.640 --> 00:31:41.920
Yeah, definitely.
00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:50.079
And it's it's very much positioned in a primary school environment and all of those things that go on and the frustrations.
00:31:50.079 --> 00:31:52.880
And it is the first in a series, so there are more of those to look forward to.
00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:54.000
Yeah.
00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:55.359
Two more, I think she said.
00:31:55.359 --> 00:31:56.240
I think so.
00:31:56.240 --> 00:31:59.920
And it would be a good class book because of the journal format.
00:31:59.920 --> 00:32:01.680
It is good and episodic, isn't it?
00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:05.440
That you get to the end of the day and then that would be a natural cause.
00:32:05.759 --> 00:32:06.240
Oh yeah.
00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:14.880
And we got a bit of extra intel when we talked to Anderson about Rashmi's new book, which is coming out in October.
00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:19.599
So this is very hot off the press, but it's in their catalogue, so I think we're allowed to talk about it.
00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:21.039
We're allowed to talk about it.
00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:23.440
It's called One Little Lamp, a Divali Story.
00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:28.640
And it's by Rashmi, and it is illustrated by Navya Raju.
00:32:28.640 --> 00:32:32.160
And that's coming out in October 2026.
00:32:32.160 --> 00:32:34.880
So that's another one to look out for.
00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:12.720
Hi, I'm Ali.
00:00:13.119 --> 00:00:14.480
Hi, I'm Katie,
00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:19.920
and welcome to episode 43 of the amazing podcast, Mostly Book Talk.
00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:32.880
We have Rashmi Serdesh Pandi with us, who is going to talk to us about her new middle grade, Hari Kumar, Ultimate Superstar, and also her upcoming picture book, Super Uma.
00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:34.000
Enjoy.
00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:45.039
We're very pleased to welcome Rashmi Serdish Pandi, who's written picture books including Dojati's Paintbrush and Never Show a T-Rexer book.
00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:51.359
A non-fiction including Amazing Asia, which we interviewed you about back in December 2024.
00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:54.719
So you can go back and listen about that, which was a beautiful book.
00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:57.840
She now has not just one, but two books out.
00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:13.200
Her first middle grade fiction, Hari Kumar, Ultimate Superstar, which is a doodle-filled diary-style story of friendship, identity, and big dreams, and also a new picture book, Super Uma, which is all about teamwork and empathy with the superhero twist.
00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:14.480
So welcome, Rashmi.
00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:16.239
Thank you for having me back.
00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:17.280
Welcome.
00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:23.920
Can we start with Hari Kumar and just give us an overview of the book and just give an idea of what goes on?
00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:24.640
Sure.
00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:27.519
So this is the first in a Shiny Near series.
00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:30.719
It's a funny doodle diary illustrated by Mamta Singh.
00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:35.519
It's a sort of seven, eight plus, and it is all about this kid.
00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:37.680
He's smart, he's cheeky.
00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:44.079
Like me, he's autistic and has ADHD, and he's got some big feelings and some really, really big Bollywood dreams.
00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:50.799
Um, and this is his journal, his way of exploring his thoughts and feelings, suggested by his learning support teacher.
00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:56.239
But really, Hari's using this journal to document his rise to greatness for his future fans.
00:01:56.239 --> 00:01:57.840
That's his thing with this.
00:01:57.840 --> 00:01:58.959
It's just a lot of fun.
00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:02.239
Yeah, and the format is obviously diary style with lots of illustrations.
00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:06.239
And why did you choose this as the format for this new series?
00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:08.159
I just love diary style books.
00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:08.960
I love them.
00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:15.120
And every school I go into, hands will shoot up if you ask them if they've read things like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates, Loki.
00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:25.039
I think that journal style just really appeals to children because you're transported right into the brain of these characters, all of their dreams, their bad choices.
00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:26.879
And I love characters who make bad choices.
00:02:26.879 --> 00:02:29.199
Hari makes a fair few of them himself.
00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:34.719
And I love characters who sort of love themselves because when they're exploring things in their journal, it's just main character energy.
00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:35.840
They're bringing it to the page.
00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:38.400
And I get to really have fun with that as a writer.
00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:44.879
And also bringing in those doodles from Mantha, I think it just makes it such a fun and accessible reading experience.
00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:48.960
You've got the journal bit, but you've also got quite a few side comments, haven't you?
00:02:48.960 --> 00:02:56.000
Because he's kind of talking to his learning support teacher who's suggested that he write the journal, but then he's also talking to the reader.
00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:58.159
There's quite a lot going on there, isn't there?
00:02:58.479 --> 00:02:59.120
Yes, there is.
00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:00.159
I love the asides.
00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:01.759
I think that's just how my brain works.
00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:05.439
I'll send an email to my editor and there'll be a lot of stuff in brackets.
00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:09.439
And then I have to sort of remove some of them because I realize that maybe not everyone thinks like this.
00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:13.120
But when I have a thought, it spirals out into something else and into something else.
00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:18.080
And I love that with Hari, I got to actually just do that with this book because it's fully justified.
00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:19.680
It's who he is, it's who I am.
00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.360
So it's a very voicey book.
00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:25.439
And yes, because he's writing to his future fans, he'll kind of translate things.
00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:27.919
He'll sort of say, Hindi speakers, bear with me for a moment.
00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:29.520
I'm gonna like lay this out.
00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:34.240
Or he talks to his neurodivergent fans and he says, Bear with me, I'm gonna get us all on the same page here.
00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:35.599
You know what I'm talking about.
00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:43.680
Because I always wondered writing a book like this, as a marginalized person, you're writing about kind of an intersectional experience here, right?
00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:45.840
South Asian kid who is also neurodivergent.
00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:48.560
But you don't want to be assuming that your readers are not those things.
00:03:48.560 --> 00:04:01.360
So, with this format, I got to really play with that and have fun with it, where he sort of high-fives people who are similar to him, but explains his world and expresses himself for those who may be new to the table, new to the party.
00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:02.000
Yeah.
00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:06.800
Did you explore how Hari thinks about his autism and his ADHD?
00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:10.479
How important was that for you to represent that and to show that?
00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:16.720
So it's interesting when people ask me this because actually he is that way because I am that way and my kids.
00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:18.319
And I just wanted to write a funny book.
00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:25.839
I didn't set out to add to books that represent certain kids, although I love that it does that.
00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:27.600
But I actually just set out to write a funny book.
00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:32.879
And what I did was share my own experience and the inner workings of my brain and my big feelings and my kids.
00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:39.360
There's a lot of my kids in Hari because he has a kind of joyfulness and confidence that I honestly didn't have at that age.
00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:45.680
I really didn't, but they do because they are diagnosed young and supported in their schools because of the kinds of schools they go to.
00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:46.560
They're very lucky.
00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:48.480
And Hari is equally very lucky.
00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:55.199
So when we talk in our house, we're very open about neurodivergence and the adjustments that we need, and we use that vocabulary.
00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:56.160
So Hari does.
00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:58.000
And it was a conscious choice.
00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:04.160
I could have made him undiagnosed like me, and that would have been a really valuable story, actually, because so many kids will go through that.
00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:14.560
But the reason I chose to have him talk so openly is one, because we do in our house, and two, because there is still so much stigma, especially in South Asian communities, around autism and ADHD.
00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:18.639
And when I discussed this with other writer friends, they said, Oh, do you really want to be labeling it?
00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:19.120
Do you want to?
00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:20.319
I said, actually, you know what?
00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:22.240
Because of this community, I do.
00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:26.079
I want them to see a kid who embraces it the way my kids do, the way I do.
00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:36.079
And actually, that's been transformative because the messages I've had from people who were worried about going through the whole process of a diagnosis with their kids and have said, actually, reading this, we're going for it.
00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:39.040
Because it's just changed their perspective on it.
00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:41.120
It was worth it for that reason.
00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:46.240
And so many kids who see themselves in these cages, who can relate, connect.
00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:50.319
It's worth it, I think, having a character who was actually living his best life.
00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:57.759
Because I think characters like this are sometimes in stories of struggle, and that matters, those are important, they face struggles.
00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:06.639
But then we also need to have stories where they're literally just living the life because they are very well supported, they are very self-aware, and they are happy in and of themselves.
00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:08.079
And it's quite interesting, isn't it?
00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:11.360
Because actually his struggle is about being a Bollywood star.
00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:12.000
Yeah.
00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:14.800
That's the thing that he's found me and not supportive of.
00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:15.920
Yeah, that's his thing.
00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:18.000
And even at school, he's got a nemesis.
00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:20.319
There's an ancient rivalry with this kid, Martin.
00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:23.839
But Martin isn't actually mean to Hari because he's neurodivergent.
00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:25.279
Martin's just a Martin.
00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:30.639
You know, he's just a comic flat character who's just a little bit grumpy.
00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:34.240
And because Hari happens to be there, he's mean to everybody.
00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:39.519
And Hari's just kind of picked him as his sort of Bollywood style rival because everyone needs a villain.
00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:43.279
But it's not about him being autistic or about him having ADHD.
00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:45.279
And I thought that would be fun to play with too.
00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:47.120
And Hari gets to make bad choices.
00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:51.120
I was discussing this with Bramseed, the author of the Cheat Book series, which I love.
00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:57.199
And we were saying how sometimes marginalized characters have to be really good and very role-modell-y because there aren't so many of them.
00:06:57.199 --> 00:06:58.800
So they need to be gooder than good.
00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:06.879
And actually, sometimes we just want to be a bit silly and we want to make bad choices and we want to have big dreams and love ourselves and go off on a tangent in life.
00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:08.079
And Hari gets to do that.
00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:14.560
So I love that my editors let me have a character that does love himself and does make bad decisions.
00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:18.000
He's obsessed with being a star, isn't he?
00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:19.839
This being a Bollywood star.
00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:23.600
But it's something that his family is not particularly supportive of.
00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:27.439
And they're very supportable in all sorts of other ways.
00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:30.560
But why did you want that tension in there?
00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:34.560
Look, I I do play a little bit into the South Asian tropes.
00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:35.040
You know what?
00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:35.600
It's really funny.
00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:36.399
They recognize this.
00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:42.079
You've got the super supportive parents, but it's like when it comes to the arts, there's a feeling of, okay, but what's your backup?
00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:45.680
Just set up your career and then do whatever you want, my love.
00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:47.519
That is quite universal, actually.
00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:51.759
I think parents are like, that's really exciting, but it's a slightly risky option.
00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:52.319
Exactly.
00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:53.839
So I had to have a bit of that in my.
00:07:53.839 --> 00:08:38.720
And I've been pleasantly surprised, delighted, in fact, that that has been the case.
00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:39.840
And people love it.
00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:42.879
Even if they're completely new to Bollywood, he's just a kid.
00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:44.080
He's got big dreams.
00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:45.519
Everyone can connect with that.
00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:48.799
If someone's coming to Bollywood for the first time, where should we start?
00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:49.840
Where should we go?
00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:50.799
I've got you.
00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:59.759
I think you should start with a movie called Om Shanti Om, O-N, S-H-A-N-T-I-O-M, because it's a spoof on Bollywood.
00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:06.960
It is big, it's fun, it's colourful, and it kind of makes fun of itself in that it's got all that drama intensity that I was talking about.
00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:09.519
It's just sort of peak Bollywood, I think.
00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:10.639
And really super fun.
00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:13.519
And that's the movie that I had in my mind when I was writing this.
00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:14.799
We will check that out.
00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:22.559
What does definitely come across is even if you don't know Bollywood, that sense that it is, as you say, big, fun, loud, and joyous.
00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:25.600
And that comes across and obviously links into the story.
00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:27.039
Tell us about the aunties.
00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:29.600
They're a recurring fear for Hari, aren't they?
00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:34.320
Oh, Auntie Pooja, yeah, who should really be Pooja Auntie, but she's trying to be Western there.
00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:34.879
Yes.
00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:39.440
And I think for a lot of cultures, actually, auntie culture is a thing.
00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:46.240
They kind of aunties, eye on everything, the competitive spirit, my daughter's off to science camp thing.
00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:51.759
I mean, this is cross-culture stuff, but I had to have it in the book because it's something that so many of us grow up with.
00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:55.519
She's not really an auntie, she's a neighbor, but that makes her an auntie.
00:09:55.519 --> 00:10:02.559
And she is actually quite a driving force in Hari's life in that she's kind of questioning what are you going to do with yourself?
00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:04.240
And that becomes such a thing for him.
00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:10.080
It becomes a recurring nightmare to go along with his usual standard recurring nightmares of his teeth falling out.
00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:10.960
Again, that's very personal.
00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:11.600
That's trauma.
00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:14.399
If I'm having a tough time, I will have a teeth falling out dream.
00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:18.159
So Hari now has an auntie dream, Auntie Puja dream to add to that.
00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:20.000
But he wants to prove himself to her.
00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:23.120
I had to always, with every book, think about what is Hari's motivation.
00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:28.559
And of course, one of his motivations is going to be time to shine, time to opportunity to be a star.
00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:29.919
But we always need a bit more.
00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:37.519
So in this, that bit more is coming from wanting to prove it to Auntie Puja and to beat his nemesis, Martin.
00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:40.879
So we've got all of these kind of mixed motivations building him up.
00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:45.600
And there's a side story of Pinky as well, because you you feel for her a bit.
00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:46.799
Yes, you do.
00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:47.840
Pinky, exactly.
00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:50.159
Pinky, aka Priyanka from the year above.
00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:52.080
That's Auntie Puja's daughter.
00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:53.360
She's really tough.
00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:55.679
I mean, this girl is so good at sport.
00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:58.000
You would not want to run into her in the corridor.
00:10:58.000 --> 00:10:59.519
She's built like a rock.
00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:00.960
But there's more to her than that.
00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:10.159
And what I love with this book is I really got to play with some stereotypes with these characters because you've got this super tough character, but then she has a really surprising hobby, which is so gentle and lovely.
00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:12.480
And she's not what she seems on the inside.
00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:14.000
And same with Hari's grandmas.
00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:17.039
When I say grandma, I ask kids this when I go on school trips.
00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:18.000
What do you imagine?
00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:20.960
You might have an image in your head of what they're like and what they do with their time.
00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:22.399
But let's meet Hari's grandmas.
00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:28.159
One is like a hotshot business boss of a massive sweets empire in India, and she's all about winning and ambition.
00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:31.679
And another one, Mammy, his French grandma, she's an amazing coder.
00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:35.279
So I like have fun with stereotypes and smashing them to bits.
00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:38.000
And I got to do that with this story, which was fun.
00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:38.559
Yeah.
00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:43.840
I did laugh at when he's walking down the street and he's like, I can't let the auntie see me.
00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:46.320
Or if I do, I have to say particular things.
00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:49.200
We've all been there, and especially with the Indian Auntie Network.
00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:51.519
Now with WhatsApp, this is a whole new level.
00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:52.879
I don't need to deal with that.
00:11:52.879 --> 00:12:00.159
But now, if you are seen by an auntie, that news will have reached like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka by lunch.
00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:02.080
You know, you're only out at 10 a.m.
00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:02.480
in the morning.
00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:04.080
Reporting back on you.
00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:04.720
Yeah.
00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:05.600
Goodness.
00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:07.840
Is it a three-book deal for Hari?
00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:09.519
Yes, a three-book deal.
00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:15.279
I've seen the cover of the second one, it's already out in the wild, isn't it?
00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:17.120
Yes, it's coming out in August.
00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:18.080
The cover is out.
00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:21.440
It's called Hari Kumar Ultimate Superstar Going for Gold.
00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:29.360
Because in that book, he is going to try and shine on Sports Day, aka the literal worst day of the year, where Hari's concerned.
00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:30.320
He is not sporty.
00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:32.960
He doesn't have a sporty bone in his body, bless him.
00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:35.200
But his friend Lily is a house rep this year.
00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:36.240
She's really going for it.
00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:37.200
She is sporty.
00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:44.240
And he is going to do the Bollywood thing of stepping up as a friend, even though she kind of secretly wishes he wouldn't.
00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:49.440
Coming up to everything to win some sports day bling for her and for the house.
00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:52.159
Because their house has never won sports day before.
00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:53.600
So stakes are high.
00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:55.679
Martin obviously is on the other side.
00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:57.519
It's gonna be a lot of fun.
00:12:57.519 --> 00:12:58.960
I'm really proud of that book, actually.
00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:03.279
It was therapeutic writing it, because I'm also really bad at sport.
00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:06.960
So yeah, I work through some things writing on.
00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:09.919
Quite a lot of working through things in this movie.
00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:13.120
This is like therapy where I get paid by a publisher.
00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:14.399
So great.
00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:14.879
Love it.
00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:16.399
That sounds good.
00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:21.519
So then presumably you're busy writing as well, then the third one.
00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:22.559
Yes, exactly.
00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:26.000
So I've been on tour for book one while editing book two.
00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:27.600
So now that's in Mamta's hands.
00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:28.720
She's doing the art.
00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:32.080
And I'm now writing book three, which will be out in February.
00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:34.399
So we've got a six-month gap between books.
00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:37.440
And if they like it, maybe they'll ask me to write more.
00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:37.919
Who knows?
00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:40.960
I'm trying to focus on book three for now because I want to get that time.
00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:41.360
Yeah.
00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:50.080
Do you find when you're out on tour that you have to try and remember what's happened in because you're talking about one book, but you've written another book and then you're starting a third book.
00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:52.320
Do you struggle to remember what's in which one?
00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:53.519
Oh yes, completely.
00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:57.120
I usually start my answers to kids with, I did write this, I promise.
00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:59.600
Let's check my page in the book.
00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:01.759
Because kids know books better than authors sometimes.
00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:02.639
So I love that.
00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:05.519
Like they'll have read it twice before you even enter the room.
00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:09.279
And they know things inside out that you've forgotten, which is a joy, really.
00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:12.320
But I do have to do a little refresh before I enter the room.
00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:12.559
I think.
00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:12.960
Yeah.
00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:18.720
I've seen authors at book quizzes when there's been a question on that, one of their own books, and they haven't got the answer right.
00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:19.840
We do so much.
00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:22.080
And the way publishing schedules work as well.
00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:29.519
And if you're someone like me that writes picture books and non-fiction and the fiction, I mean, there's no way I'm gonna remember details.
00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:31.759
But that's quite a nice thing to share with children.
00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:36.159
I feel we find it quite endearing that we don't know that much, but we know where to look for it.
00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:39.039
You've launched it out into the world.
00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:40.639
So let's chat about Supa Uma.
00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:43.039
It's so sparkly.
00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:44.559
It's about sparkly.
00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:52.320
It's very different, but it's got some similar themes about a character who's overwhelmed by colours and sound and the importance of empathy and teamwork.
00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:54.720
Do you want to tell us a bit more about it?
00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:55.360
Sure.
00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:58.559
So, yes, it is a comics-y book.
00:14:58.559 --> 00:15:01.120
I'd say it has comics-y, superhero-y vibes.
00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:09.360
It really plays on some well-loved superhero-y tropes, but with hopefully a fresh twist because you've got this South Asian kid in her gar gray.
00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:10.799
That's the skirt that she's wearing.
00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:12.879
And she's got her nani, who's very Indian.
00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:16.720
She's wearing a nine-yard sari, very traditional for like my area of India, actually.
00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:18.480
They're not even worn all over India.
00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:27.039
So I love that we got to have a grandma like that on the page in a superhero y story and a unicorn sidekick, because South Asian kids don't get unicorn sidekicks.
00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:28.080
And I was like, well, why not?
00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:31.600
My daughter, unfortunately, has grown out of her love of unicorns.
00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.039
But once upon a time, she kind of had unicorn blood running through her.
00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:36.159
She's that obsessed.
00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:40.080
So why shouldn't kids like her have a unicorn buddy?
00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:42.000
So we've got this unicorn buddy called Ship.
00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:46.559
When they live in Sparklepolis, which is bright and colourful and fun, always something happening.
00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:47.600
Everybody loves it.
00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:48.879
Why wouldn't you?
00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:53.039
And the reality is, well, actually, not everybody does love it all the time.
00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:55.120
Sometimes it's just a bit too much.
00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:59.600
And so the sparkle stone that kind of drives all the sparkle and colour in the city goes missing.
00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:03.120
And Uma and her friends end up on this quest to retrieve it.
00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:11.919
But when they do, what they discover is that there is someone in the city, actually quite a few people, who struggle with all the sparkle and colour and noise.
00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:16.080
And maybe what they really need to do is create some inclusive, accessible spaces for them.
00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:19.039
And that's making it sound a bit messagy as I describe it, but it's really not.
00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:20.879
It's a super fun story.
00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:27.360
And it just so happens that the ending gets us to a place where we appreciate that actually spaces need to be inclusive.
00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:32.639
And sometimes even the thing that's really fun, even for someone who finds it fun, it can be too much.
00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:40.000
And when I say someone, I mean me, people like me, and Knuckle, actually, the illustrator, this is his first picture book.
00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:47.039
And we share this in that we can find all of that brightness and colour and sparkle and noise a bit too much.
00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:49.759
So those adjustments make a huge difference to us.
00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:57.600
I'm the only person on the school run, for example, wearing sunglasses all year round, you know, the darkest depths of winter, but I need my sunglasses.
00:16:57.600 --> 00:16:58.879
It's too bright for me.
00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:00.480
I just need those adjustments.
00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:01.200
Fair enough.
00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:03.039
So yeah, it is very sparkly.
00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:04.000
We liked sparkles.
00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:06.400
And who doesn't love a unicorn?
00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:08.960
And which character did you start with?
00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:13.519
So I started with Uma, and the whole the book actually was originally called Uma the Amazing.
00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:15.359
And then Poppin suggested Super Uma.
00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:16.079
I said, fine.
00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:17.440
They were really, really sure about it.
00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:18.400
I said, go for it then.
00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:20.160
Do you know this is your business.
00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:21.440
You know it's gonna work.
00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:25.039
And actually, then the three of them popped up altogether.
00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:29.680
Because once I knew it was gonna be this kid who was kind of bright and very much like my daughter, actually.
00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:32.960
My daughter used to wake up and say, Today's gonna be the best day ever.
00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:34.960
And she said it every single day for years.
00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:37.200
That was the first thing she would say to me for years.
00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:41.759
So I wanted a kid that captured that kind of energy and excitement for life.
00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:45.039
And then the two other characters popped up around her.
00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:45.519
Nice.
00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:47.359
You clearly had lots of fun writing it.
00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:50.240
There's a sense of that happiness and this the sort of energy.
00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:55.359
Was there a bit of it that you just thought, yes, this is really just captures what I wanted in this book?
00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:57.440
I think it's the voice, actually.
00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:06.720
It's that sort of, like I said, it re I really got to play on the superhero e tropes with the way the storyteller, the narrator, is speaking to the child reader.
00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:11.680
I can't really explain it, but when you read it, you know it's just it's that voice.
00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:12.960
I love a voicey book.
00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:14.640
All my books are actually quite voicy.
00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:19.200
I guess that's why Hari's this first-person middle grade diary, because I get to speak like that.
00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:24.480
Never show a T-Rex, a book, my very first picture book with Diane Ewan, it was also quite voicey.
00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:27.839
I just like that, like playing with voice, it's fun voice.
00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:36.079
And I noticed that when I do that, children memorize those words really quickly because they like how it sounds, they like being that narrator.
00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:40.160
And after a few reads of the story, we want that as picture book writers, right?
00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:42.079
We want them to be reading these again and again.
00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:44.319
They will be saying those words themselves.
00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:44.799
Yeah.
00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.519
I like the nanny um her scooter.
00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:57.279
That scene, there's this epic scene where their Uma and Chiff are off to track down the sparkle stone, and you know, obviously they're they can't go very fast because they're little legs, bless them.
00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:04.400
And then Nanny vrooms by on her scooter and she's like, Don't just stand there, like a pair of lemons, jump on, and they vroom through the city.
00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:06.559
It's so epic and cinematic.
00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:09.039
But they do have to take a detour to the library.
00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:12.960
Yeah, because sort of return that library book, all so very important.
00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:14.400
But then we pick up the pace again.
00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:16.720
It's being able to do fun stuff like that.
00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:18.880
It was like a cartoon in a book for me.
00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:29.680
I got to write the cartoon of my dreams in book form, and then Claire Doughty, the art director, found Knuckle on Instagram and was just like, This illustrator is perfect for it.
00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:30.559
And he really is.
00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:37.119
I love how he's pulled in sort of Indian and Asian influences into the kind of cityscapes.
00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:40.480
Again, in that superhero world, you don't often see that.
00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:42.559
It's really fun, everything that he's done with it.
00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:47.119
You're writing the middle grade, presumably at the same time, as a picture book in this instance.
00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:47.680
Oh, yes.
00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:49.680
How's it different working with illustrators?
00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:54.079
Because obviously, you just said that Nakul was a new illustrator, brand new for you.
00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:57.119
And for Mamta Singh, have you worked them before?
00:19:57.440 --> 00:19:59.839
No, Mamta Singh, in fact, was a muralist.
00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:01.680
She wasn't even in the world of children's books.
00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:03.359
Again, art director.
00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:10.559
Actually, I've this has happened a lot with me, where the art directress found a complete debut and then hand held them through the process of doing a children's book.
00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:11.519
And you would just never know.
00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:14.160
I did a Wind in the Willows retelling with Jojo Clinch.
00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:15.279
She was a debut then too.
00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:17.680
But if you look at that book, it is stunning.
00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:20.079
She does not look like a first-time illustrator.
00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:23.279
That's the magic of a great art director, just like a great editor.
00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:29.440
So in Mamta's case, she was a muralist and we saw her portfolio of kind of murals that she had done.
00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:37.440
I'm talking things like live drawing at a corporate meeting or on a cafe wall, incredible stuff, but not children's books.
00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:39.920
And we just asked her, would you give this a go?
00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:41.519
And I think she's done brilliantly.
00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:43.200
She's worked so hard on this.
00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:44.640
What a learning curve.
00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:47.519
But children love the art and grown-ups love the art.
00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:48.079
I love the art.
00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:48.319
Yeah.
00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:50.799
So, in terms of being a muralist, did she draw people?
00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:51.359
Yeah.
00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:51.839
Okay.
00:20:51.839 --> 00:20:55.200
So not like big wall murals, but like actual these things.
00:20:55.200 --> 00:20:56.400
No, and big wall murals.
00:20:56.559 --> 00:20:57.599
So say you have a big change.
00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:04.880
Yeah, it's quite a change, like a big office space where an entire wall will be just doody mural art.
00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:05.759
Things like that.
00:21:05.759 --> 00:21:09.440
And if I'm explaining it well, but yeah, completely different world.
00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:14.319
She had that characterization, she had that fun, she's definitely got a lot of comedy in what she does.
00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:19.039
There were a lot of synergies, but it was a steep mountain to climb for her.
00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:20.880
But I guess it was for me too on the text.
00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:23.759
Like people keep forgetting that I'm not a novelist.
00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:29.440
So for me, I was learning on the job how to write a novel with the help of my editor.
00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:33.759
And did you write all the words and then her illustrate it?
00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:36.079
Or was it a process between the two of you?
00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:36.640
No.
00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:40.240
So just as it is with picture books, the text will be finished, it will settle down.
00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:49.200
And then what happens is with middle grade, it gets laid to actually with any book, it gets laid to page, meaning the art director will decide you will have space here for the art.
00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:51.519
This is the kind of size of image we're looking for.
00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:58.319
And even with picture books with Nakul, the art director would say, Okay, this is going to be a big double spread image, or this is going to be little vignettes.
00:21:58.319 --> 00:21:59.759
And they will guide.
00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:03.039
Illustrator to help them think about what kind of image would go here.
00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:03.359
Right.
00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:10.000
With Hari Kumar, that was getting the sides right and that part of it, because they're very much in the illustrations, aren't they?
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:11.200
They're often in a box.
00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:14.319
So that required quite a lot of thinking about, otherwise, it wouldn't quite work.
00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:20.559
The designer Ellerene Grant was absolutely incredible in making that work so that we read it in the right orde r.
00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:27.359
And when it came to recording the audiobook with Jassa Ahluwalia, which is absolutely wonderful because he's an actor, he's really inhabited Hari.
00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:32.880
Those are sides were even more interesting because he had to read the text and do it, by the way, all in the audio.
00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:33.759
That's interesting.
00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:34.880
I haven't listened to the audio.
00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:35.599
That sounds good.
00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:38.559
Are you finding that lots of kids are coming to it through the audio?
00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:40.799
Or do you have you not been out enough yet to know?
00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:45.680
I haven't been out enough to see that, but I have had feedback that some people are using both, which is lovely.
00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:54.559
One person told me one child is dyslexic, and so what they like to do is have the book because they love seeing the art and they love following the text, but they have the audiobook playing as well.
00:22:54.559 --> 00:23:00.319
Another child likes to be doing something else while they're listening to the audio, so they're doing that while this one has the text.
00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:01.920
So people are using it in that way.
00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:06.640
I love that HarperCollins invested in that because not every book gets an audio edition.
00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:07.119
No.
00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:12.079
And then we had this sample from this actual actor who is absolutely brilliant.
00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:17.200
He's an author too of a book called Both Not Half because he talks about his mixed race heritage.
00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:19.519
So who is kind of perfect for this book?
00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:20.319
Excellent.
00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:22.319
So is he going to do all three of them?
00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:23.119
I hope so.
00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:23.759
I think so.
00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:24.480
Exciting.
00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:25.599
Yeah, it's hard, isn't it?
00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:27.759
Once you've got the voice in your head, I'm sure he will.
00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:31.680
Make sure he doesn't get taken off to some Hollywood film.
00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:32.720
Hollywood film.
00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:34.640
Yes, Bollywood or Hollywood, yeah.
00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:38.079
I think he is doing a film actually, not Bollywood, but I think he's doing a rom com.
00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:42.400
Okay, well, just make sure it's not off the other side of the world and he can't.
00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:46.799
They can do it all over the place, for it's not he loves the book though, which is lovely.
00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:48.799
And you can hear that in his reading rather.
00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:49.839
I've been very lucky.
00:23:49.839 --> 00:23:54.319
I feel very lucky overall with the reception of that book, honestly.
00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:56.240
Being on the ground, meeting kids.
00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:03.920
I was at a school where I mentioned to one child while I was signing that book two is coming in August, and I swear it rippled down the signing queue.
00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:04.960
When did she say it's coming?
00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:05.599
Did she say August?
00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:06.240
Did you say August?
00:24:06.240 --> 00:24:06.960
Is it coming in August?
00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:07.519
When's the next one?
00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:07.920
Awesome.
00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:09.119
Oh, that's so nice.
00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:10.400
That's so nice.
00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:10.880
Yeah.
00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:12.160
So lovely.
00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:21.119
It is really hard, I think, when you're a kid when you discover a series with the first book and then you have to wait because it seems it's so long for them.
00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:21.759
Yes.
00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:22.240
It is.
00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:24.720
My daughter keeps reminding me of this because she is 10.
00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:29.359
So if I say something like, Oh, it's just two years away, she's like, Do you know what percentage of my life that is?
00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:31.119
I'm like, oh gosh, you're right.
00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:33.519
That's actually a really, really long time.
00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:39.119
So I'm hoping that gives me some impetus to finish book three because there is so much excitement.
00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:44.000
But it is a double-edged sword because on the one hand, it's really exciting and it's fuel for creativity.
00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:52.799
But on the other hand, it can really freeze you out as an author because people loving book one so much kind of raises the bar for book three.
00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:54.079
You know what I mean?
00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:56.240
The difficult second album.
00:24:56.480 --> 00:24:56.799
Yes.
00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:58.400
Although, no, my second album is great.
00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:00.240
We've done that one.
00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:02.240
It's the difficult third album.
00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:03.440
There isn't one.
00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:04.400
It'll be fine.
00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:05.359
It'll be fine, right?
00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:06.880
If you do the second one, you're fine.
00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:07.279
You're fine.
00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:08.000
Well that's true.
00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:09.119
That's supposed to be the tricky one.
00:25:09.119 --> 00:25:10.319
So we did that, nailed that.
00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:11.759
I'm just weirdly proud of it.
00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:14.319
I know sometimes it's really cringy reading back your stuff.
00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:17.759
But when I was reading through Hari Two for edits, I genuinely loved it.
00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:20.640
And I'm not saying that in an arrogant way because I don't know where it came from.
00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:22.160
Because like I said, I'm not a novelist.
00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:23.920
I don't identify as a novelist.
00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:25.759
But when I read it, I love it.
00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:32.720
That was some really super good editing and a day or whatever, months of inspiration that created that book.
00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:35.920
And we just need a bit more of that to do it all again.
00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:37.920
I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine.
00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:40.160
Where can people find out where you're gonna pop up?
00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:41.359
Where should they look?
00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:42.240
On your website?
00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:48.000
They should look on my website because after I finish this call, I will finally update it.
00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:50.720
I don't know because a lot of my events have been at schools.
00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:51.200
At school.
00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:58.720
I'm gonna be at Barnes Lipfest, so anyone who is around Battersea, schools in Battersea can get there's free tickets for that, isn't there?
00:25:58.799 --> 00:26:00.799
That's a big massive schools project.
00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:01.839
Yes, exactly.
00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:05.039
So some of my things have been like that rather than public-facing events.
00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:08.559
But if I do have any public-facing events, they will be on my website.
00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:10.240
I will be shouting about them.
00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:16.400
But I am nonstop on tour this year for Hari, obviously, for Superuma coming up.
00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:18.640
I'll be traveling for that in April.
00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:22.240
And then again in May, because the paperback of This Is Who I Am is coming out.
00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:25.279
That is my book for Ruchi Mhasane.
00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:29.200
And that is a poetic picture book about identity and belonging.
00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:30.960
It's a second generation immigrant story.
00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:34.880
But when the paperback comes out, I'll go on tour for that because that book really means a lot to me.
00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:37.039
So yeah, I'll be everywhere and nowhere.
00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:37.440
And right.
00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:39.200
So people people can find you.
00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:43.680
And is there anything else in the works that you're allowed to talk about?
00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:44.240
Nothing.
00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:45.279
Is that enough?
00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:46.079
That's enough.
00:26:46.079 --> 00:26:46.960
That's quite a bit, isn't it?
00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:48.480
Nothing I'm allowed to talk about.
00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:57.119
I have a really beautiful and very epic nonfiction coming out next year, which I can't talk about, but it is epic, is the only way I can describe it.
00:26:57.119 --> 00:27:04.880
And I have more picture books in the works, and they're going to be really beautiful, uplifting stories coming out over the next two years.
00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:06.640
And of course, more Hari.
00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:08.480
Um and who knows, what else?
00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:12.480
Maybe I'll come up with something completely random that I haven't done before because I love doing that.
00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:14.559
I I love the fact I get to do a range of things.
00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:14.880
Yeah.
00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:15.599
It's joke.
00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:16.720
Yeah, it's cool.
00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:22.880
I feel like when publishing opens a little door, you have to stick your foot in it and hopefully hold it open for people after you as well.
00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:28.559
But I definitely stick my foot in it because we don't all always get to do lots of different things in publishing.
00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:30.400
I feel it's very easy to end up in a box.
00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:30.720
Yeah.
00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:35.519
And I think I'm very, very lucky that I have never ended up in a box, Touchwood, and I never intend to.
00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:40.799
Preparing for this and had a look at your range of books, and you've done everything really now.
00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:42.960
All you have to do now is a YA novel.
00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:43.519
Exactly.
00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:44.240
It's in me.
00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:46.079
I have a really gritty YA, actually.
00:27:46.079 --> 00:27:47.039
But not yet.
00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:47.519
Not yet.
00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:48.400
There's time for that.
00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:51.839
I'd also love to do a verse novel, but I wrote to my agent and I said, you know what?
00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:56.559
I've got a verse novel brewing, but don't reply yet to say that this is not the market for it.
00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:57.759
You don't think you can sell it.
00:27:57.759 --> 00:27:58.880
Let me dream a little.
00:27:58.880 --> 00:27:59.759
And do you know what?
00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:03.200
She replied to everything else in my email and didn't even comment on that.
00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:05.519
Which makes me think that yes, there's no market for this.
00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:06.880
And also, Rashmi, what are you doing?
00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:07.680
You're not a poet.
00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:09.519
But you know, never say never.
00:28:09.519 --> 00:28:10.480
Never say never.
00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:11.279
And excellent.
00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:17.920
Our final question in the National Year of Reading is what are your hopes for the National Year of Reading?
00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:23.680
Wow, my hopes are that we really mean it when we invite children to go all in.
00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:30.160
Because I think choice and access are so key when it comes to children and reading.
00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:33.279
And if we're inviting them to read, it has to be on their terms.
00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:41.359
It has to be the thing that excites them, the things that they find irresistible, things that match up with their interests, feel relevant, feel accessible.
00:28:41.359 --> 00:28:49.839
And we need to make sure that those books are available to them in an age where libraries are being decimated and schools barely have them, and librarians, of course, are undervalued.
00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:55.519
I think libraries are going to have a really important role here because libraries are one place where children have choice.
00:28:55.519 --> 00:28:57.519
Because it doesn't cost anything.
00:28:57.519 --> 00:29:01.599
Even the strictest gatekeepers who want them to read that stuffy classic.
00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:01.920
Sorry.
00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:03.839
No disrespect to the classics.
00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:08.400
But the books that maybe don't pull children in, they can always say, okay, look, please borrow this.
00:29:08.400 --> 00:29:14.559
But yes, you can borrow these other books that actually are drawing you and going to get you excited about reading.
00:29:14.559 --> 00:29:17.599
But unfortunately, as I said, libraries are under threat.
00:29:17.599 --> 00:29:20.000
So I hope that we send to them this year.
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:22.559
I hope that we send to children's choice and we really mean it.
00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:27.440
And we do less of the kind of, oh, graphic novels are not reading, or verse novels are not real reading.
00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:29.359
I saw you had Sarah Crossman on.
00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:30.559
I loved her gone for good.
00:29:30.559 --> 00:29:31.279
Brilliant.
00:29:31.279 --> 00:29:34.559
And for my ADHD brain, verse novels are like, what a gift.
00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:35.279
What a gift.
00:29:35.279 --> 00:29:36.400
And for my daughter.
00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:44.240
So I hope we mean it when we say children should choose and they should have agency and they should have access to fantastic books.
00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:46.559
Sorry, that was my very long hope for the National University.
00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:47.680
It's a good one.
00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:48.240
Good one.
00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:55.920
The more choice and the more variety and the more diversity, the better, really, so everyone can find their own niche and their own thing.
00:29:56.400 --> 00:30:03.920
We can't have this stuffiness about audiobooks, about graphic novels, about verse novels, about things like punchy commercial reads.
00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:07.279
Because actually, look at the look at point horror when I was growing up.
00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:10.960
I mean, those flew off the shelves, like Jennifer Killett today.
00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:14.400
And there's a reason why children love those books, or funny books.
00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:20.480
I'm really happy that I've published this funny, accessible book during the National Year of Reading.
00:30:20.480 --> 00:30:24.319
I think we need to stop judging what children are reading.
00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:26.319
Unless, of course, it's toxic, we weren't gonna.
00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:28.799
But that aside, obviously, that's a given.
00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:31.119
And really let them fall in love with it.
00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:32.400
And that would be magic.
00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:33.839
That would set them up for life.
00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:34.240
Yeah.
00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:34.880
Brilliant.
00:30:34.880 --> 00:30:35.839
That's a thank you.
00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:38.960
Thank you so much for your time.
00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:40.240
It's been great talking to you.
00:30:40.240 --> 00:30:41.519
Thank you.
00:30:41.519 --> 00:30:47.519
So really enjoyed Hari Kumar.
00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:50.160
I think it's a good addition to the diary.
00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:51.359
Journal of genre.
00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:52.000
Yeah.
00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:54.240
And it's funny, it's different.
00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:59.680
It's a slightly younger age group, isn't it, than some of the other diaries that are around.
00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:01.680
Maybe not that much younger.
00:31:01.680 --> 00:31:02.960
He's a bit younger, isn't he?
00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:05.200
He's yeah, five, isn't he?
00:31:05.359 --> 00:31:06.160
Year, five or six.
00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:07.920
And I loved all the Bollywood stuff.
00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:14.720
We'll be following up on Rashmi's tip about where to start if you don't know how to navigate the world of Bollywood.
00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:18.960
It definitely made you feel like you might want to, because it sounded like fun.
00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:23.680
And a whole load of family dynamics going on there that were fun too.
00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:28.160
And Super Uma the picture book is just a kind of glorious romp.
00:31:28.160 --> 00:31:28.960
It is, yeah.
00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:33.279
With sparkly, shiny unicorns, What's Not to Love.
00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:34.240
What's not to love.
00:31:34.240 --> 00:31:36.960
There will be definitely an audience for that.
00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:40.640
Hari Kumar, Hari Kumarl would work well as a class book, wouldn't it?
00:31:40.640 --> 00:31:41.920
Yeah, definitely.
00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:50.079
And it's it's very much positioned in a primary school environment and all of those things that go on and the frustrations.
00:31:50.079 --> 00:31:52.880
And it is the first in a series, so there are more of those to look forward to.
00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:54.000
Yeah.
00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:55.359
Two more, I think she said.
00:31:55.359 --> 00:31:56.240
I think so.
00:31:56.240 --> 00:31:59.920
And it would be a good class book because of the journal format.
00:31:59.920 --> 00:32:01.680
It is good and episodic, isn't it?
00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:05.440
That you get to the end of the day and then that would be a natural cause.
00:32:05.759 --> 00:32:06.240
Oh yeah.
00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:14.880
And we got a bit of extra intel when we talked to Anderson about Rashmi's new book, which is coming out in October.
00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:19.599
So this is very hot off the press, but it's in their catalogue, so I think we're allowed to talk about it.
00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:21.039
We're allowed to talk about it.
00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:23.440
It's called One Little Lamp, a Divali Story.
00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:28.640
And it's by Rashmi, and it is illustrated by Navya Raju.
00:32:28.640 --> 00:32:32.160
And that's coming out in October 2026.
00:32:32.160 --> 00:32:34.880
So that's another one to look out for.
