Have you ever:
* Sung Michael Jackson’s Heal the World dressed in a sari (with four other similarly-dressed individuals) to an audience of thousands?
* Walked to the front of your class and mistakenly called your teacher “Amma”?
* Sat in front of a classmate who laughed when you cracked a joke exactly when he was drinking water?
* Had your arm covered with Friendship Bands?
* Got caught sleeping in Sanskrit class?
Maybe you have. If so, there’s a good chance that you did this in school. Our best stories are often born in school because this is where we spend 12 years of our life with other children our age.
This is one of the many reasons why authors draw on their experiences at school when they write stories for children. They dig deep into their own memories, borrow incidents that happened to friends, and think hard about how everyone must have felt at the time, to write a story better. There are a number of Indian writers who have written stories set at school.
R K Narayan—the grand old storyteller who decided to quit work, stay home, and write books at a time when such offbeat career choices were deeply frowned upon—is the first person who comes to mind. His debut novel— Swami and Friends —a collection of stories about the adventures of a boy and his friends at school, was published in 1930.
Ruskin Bond, an Indian writer of British descent born four years after Swami was published, has written a host of school stories as well. His stories of his experiences at school were published in a collection called At School with Ruskin Bond . Trivandrum-based author Khyrunnisa has made “Butterfingers” a household name with her stories about Amar Kishen a.k.a Butterfingers with her series of books— Howzzat, Butterfingers and Goal, Butterfingers — which are both stories set at school.
Samit Basu’s book The Adventures of Stoob: Testing Times , published last year, describes the lead character’s (Stoob’s) trials through class V. It is guaranteed to get the most serious person to break into giggles at the most respectable places. A sequel to the book, A Difficult Stage , is set to be out soon.
The genre of school stories is not new. Sarah Fielding is reputed to have written the first such novel called The Governess, or The Little Female Academy in 1749. Other authors who popularised the genre include Charles Dickens ( Nicholas Nickleby ), Angela Brazil ( The Fortunes of Philippa ), P G Wodehouse ( A Prefect’s Uncle —one of six books that he wrote set in public schools for boys), Susan Coolidge ( What Katy Did At School ), and Louisa May Alcott ( Little Men ).
In later years, Enid Blyton gave the genre a leg-up with the St. Clare’s and Malory Towers series. Francine Pascal made it hip during the 1980s and 90s with the Sweet Valley High series while J K Rowling gave it new life with the Harry Potter series.
Over the years, stories set at school have explored different themes: friendship, loyalty, rebellion, growing up, bullying, teacher-student relationships, romance, and belonging, to name a few.
What makes a good school story? The same rules apply as what makes any story good. It may be a story that makes you laugh, feel sad, or fill you with longing. It could be about the friends you loved, the chances you lost, or about the type of school that you always wanted.
Think about your experiences at school. Pick one stand-out experience that you know you will always find funny or one that you will always remember. Describe it in as much detail as possible. Ask your friends, who shared the experience with you, for more information if you think you’ve forgotten particular details. Read it again once you’ve finished writing. Refine it by removing parts of the story that you think are irrelevant.
How does it make you feel on reading it? Is it a feeling that you want to pass on to someone else? If so, do it today. Mail us your story at naresh.blps@gmail.com
