Khyrunnisa A is now a household name among those keenly following the Butterfingers journey or the animal stories in The Lizard of Oz. She even made a crocodile eat butter chicken for breakfast— a la Panchatantra style, according to fellow writer Shashi Tharoor.
With dollops of sports and sweet fun, she sets her stories in a world where children laugh freely, feel disgusted when denied their innocent wants, and aim to play, read, explore, and develop their innate skills — innocuously yet deftly.
The latest from her bouquet, Agassi and The Great Cycle Race, joins the list. And so will many more that she has lined up for release from June. TNIE spoke to the veteran writer about her books and the world of books today. Excerpts:
From cricket to football, karate to now tennis — your books for children seem to hover around sports.
I love sports and am a Nadal fan. Agassi and the Great Cycle Race is centred around tennis and cycling. The central character is Agassi, and the parrot that he gets along with, a vintage cycle, is Steffi. It’s a kind of trip down memory lane.
You have brought back the nostalgia in children’s writing by focusing on the innocent pleasures of childhood. How relevant is that in today’s changing milieu?
In an age where parents lead the way by toting mobile phones, children tend to follow suit. So, exposure to a world where joy and leisure aren’t defined by technology is needed.
I write for my readers — both the young and the young at heart. There are many who want to identify with or relive the moments created in my books.
Have there been attempts to adapt your books into visual media?
Yes, there have been, but they didn’t quite take off. However, some of my books have come out in comic format, and they hold immense potential for visual adaptation.
Frankly, I love writing and am more focused on making my books connect with readers.
How far do you think the naive pleasures of childhood resonate in times that may not be as naive?
There is something called writing for young adults, where issues such as gender, political correctness, etc., are considered. But I don’t want to get into all that.
I grew up reading P G Wodehouse and Enid Blyton, and the world they portrayed reflected the child I was. So every child, too, should be shown the world of children. I like to focus on the simple pleasures of childhood. And there are still children who enjoy that, despite the complexities around them.
How do you see literature today?
Literature today is not just about writing; it’s also about promoting what you write, and the writer is often involved in that process. There are literary festivals, which are no longer exclusive to literature alone. So, a lot has changed.
But I have always enjoyed writing the most, even when I enjoyed teaching. And the moment I stopped teaching, I switched to my other love. So, it’s like I do what I love — writing to connect with my readers and recreate a world of fun, sports, and a life where the child in us can still breathe easy and free.