In the world of novels, travelogues, and biographies, books on quiz are refreshing, especially for those forever curious. One such is the recently-launched Quizzotica Anant (Prism Books), a 250-page book by Chitra Ramaswamy with a foreword by Dr. C. Rangarajan, Chairman, Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. The book, with questions in 36 sections, was launched recently in Bengaluru by H.R. Ananth, Vice Chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Proceeds from the book’s sales will go to SOCARE Ind (Society’s Care for Indigent) a home for children of life convicts in Bengaluru.
A freelance writer, teacher and avid traveller, Chitra spoke to MetroPlus on the making of the book. Excerpts…
What inspired you to compile a How come you thought of compiling a quiz book?
Quizzing has been my passion since my student days. The radio broadcast of BBC strengthened this interest further. The habit of jotting down interesting facts when reading or watching TV programmes continues to be a part of me. Quizzing is the bridge that connects the serious with the fun. It ensures we are ever alert, focused, concentrated, and above all, sharp at memory recall. Quizzing is also about socialising, keeping conversations alive, personality development, reaching out, and above all, it is everything to do with keeping our mental faculties nourished.
You must have enjoyed your role as a teacher ...
I am first a learner. Each day, I discover something new. This book has been inspired by my children — my son Anant and daughter Divya. Both of them are ardent quizzers and debaters and I grew with them. Inspired by them, I’ve utilised material I’ve collected since my school days to compile the book.
These are days when The Internet too makes diverse information readily available easily isn’t it?
The Net is a huge help in accessing data, no doubt. But there is an information overload and its authenticity has to be established. A quiz book does all this for you — information provided in it is thoroughly researched with the best of intentions.
How easy was it to cover such a range of topics? How long did it take to compile the book?
Being up-to-date with current events is integral to quizzing. The dailies have plenty of information on varied subjects apart from routine happenings around the world. Though a commerce student, I have always been fascinated by the world of science, especially biology and medicine. Being an outdoor and sportsperson, the inclination to keep abreast of happenings in the sporting world, came rather naturally. Above all, quizzing is a realm-less subject containing everything under the sun. This book is the result of several years of hard work, research and verification of facts collected.
