New Delhi, March 03:Besides being popular writers, what is the connection among New Zealand’s David Hair, Pakistan’s Sheba Karim and Subroto Bagchi of India?.
Their works have been selected by Penguin publishers for its’Young Adult’series.
Aimed at people in their mid-teens to adults, the books are a mix of fantasy, romance, short stories, thought-provoking fiction and non-fiction and have been written with the contemporary Indian young adult in mind.
“Swayamvara: The Return of Ravana”, a fantasy adventure by New Zealand writer David Hair, and”Skunk Girl”, a story of growing up by Pakistani-American writer Sheba Karim, are the first two books in the series.
In the coming months works by authors like Subroto Bagchi (“I Did My MBA at 16”),”Figure it Out, The Ultimate Guide to Teen Fitness”by Namita Jain and two collections of short stories will be included in the series.
“There’s been a gaping hole in the Indian publishing scene for books for people between 15 and 20. We decided to start a series of books with a distinct identity for this readership; the books are international in look and feel, fun to read and will appeal to a variety of tastes,”says Sudeshna Shome Ghosh, Editorial Director of Puffin and Penguin Young Adult.
As most writings of young adult fiction in India are seen as an attempt between juvenile chick-lit and over-mature kiddie books, Ghosh says this series will have different kinds of writing-fantasy, coming of age, non-fiction including business and fitness and short stories.
According to Ghosh, the authors are not unknowns.
“Hair has been published by HarperCollins New Zealand and is an award-winning writer. This series is being published by Penguin in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the UK, though it was originated by Penguin India,”she told media.,
Hair is the author of”The Bone Tiki”, winner of Best First Novel (Young Adult Fiction section) at the 2010 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards.”The Bone Tiki”and its sequel”The Taniwha’s Tear”are fantasy novels set in New Zealand.
–PTI