BENGALURU: A young Sudha Murty never envisioned that anyone would be interested in publishing or reading books written by someone without a literary background. But as she launched her 300th book title, Grandpa’s Bag of Stories, she is not only a known figure in literary circles, and a member of Rajya Sabha but has also lovingly become ‘Ajji’ to thousands of children growing up with her stories.
“I was scared to publish my first book because I was not really a literature student. I was an engineer and an engineer who was writing in Kannada so I thought ‘Who would want to publish and read my stories,’” says Murty, in conversation with actor-author Twinkle Khanna during the book launch, celebrating 44 years of her literary journey.
The event also saw the presence of literary luminaries and well-known personalities, including Biocon’s founder and executive chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, entrepreneur Geetanjali Kirloskar, British Deputy High Commissioner Chandru Iyer, Member of Parliament Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and actor Samyukta Hornad.
Looking back, Murty, who is also the mother-in-law of former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, expresses, “Now, I would tell my younger self not to worry so much. Literature doesn’t have borders, degrees, or restrictions — it’s about the passion to express yourself in words.”
Her latest book, published by Puffin, an imprint of Penguin, is a new collection of 19 stories much like her bestselling Grandma’s Bag of Stories, where she transports young readers to the serene hills of Uttarakhand, as the young protagonists, find themselves in the midst of an enchanting adventure. Guided by their grandfather, affectionately called ‘Ajja,’ they encounter tales of kings, princesses, mermaids, and more, all while absorbing the rich cultural tapestry of the Pahadi traditions.
“In real life, grandma is the better storyteller…that’s me. But this time I wrote Grandpa’s Bag of Stories because [Narayana] Murthy doesn’t really tell a lot of stories,” laughs Murty, who was accompanied by husband and founder of Infosys, Narayana Murthy for the event. “I felt it’s too much for a grandmother to always tell stories so I decided to switch things up,” she adds.
Murty also spoke about the differences in writing for children and adults. For her, writing for adults is straightforward, whereas writing for children requires filters. “The tone has to be positive, and the message should be embedded within the story, without being preachy,” she explains, whose series on her pet dog Gopi is a crowd favourite.
One of the challenges, Murty admits, is staying relevant in a rapidly changing world. “I’m an extrovert, and I talk to people, especially children, to understand their world,” she says. This connection helps her avoid the trap of becoming repetitive, a fear she constantly guards against. “I constantly remind myself not to fall into a pattern. I don’t want my work to become predictable or monotonous, because I am also aware that every book and every author has a shelf life,” she adds.