BEST PICTURE BOOK: STORY
Vinayak Varma for Angry Akku (Pratham Books)
I didn’t expect my book to win, but it did. I am suitably shocked. I’m moderately amazed. I’m tickled mauve.
Akku’s reaction: “Grrrrrmph!”
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BEST PICTURE BOOK: ILLUSTRATION
Rajiv Eipe for Ammachi’s Amazing Machines (Pratham Books)
I’m thrilled to have won. I’m grateful to the organisers for recognising children's literature as an important category. I hope more such platforms emerge to acknowledge the excellent work that is being done in the children's book space.
Ammachi’s reaction: Ammachi laughed till tears came out of her eyes, and then marched off to make a fresh batch of coconut barfi . With help from her grandson, of course.
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BEST BOOK: FICTION
Venita Coelho for Boy No 32 (Scholastic india)
Winning an award is always special but an award from The Hindu - Ah! that is special indeed. Because that means not popular recognition but recognition from your peers and from readers who truly recognise and appreciate a book.
Battee’s reaction: “They gave you a cup that you can’t drink tea out of? Bah. Now if they gave you Aamir’s autograph that would have been something.”
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BEST BOOK: NON-FICTION
Mamta Nainy for A Brush with Indian Art (Penguin India)
I feel delighted, excited, surprised and grateful — all at the same time! It feels really special to get an award for a book on a subject that one feels passionately about. In some ways, the Award is a welcome affirmation for both myself and my publisher that literature on Indian art is much needed for young readers today. I feel less marginal as a creator and more confident about my craft — a great motivation for me to write more and write better for children.
Reaction through an art form: I think the tarpa dance in many of the Warli paintings would be the best depiction of how I feel at the moment – because, well, I love all forms of folk art and a happy dance is what I’m doing right now!
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Daniel Handler a.k.a. Lemony Snicket, author, A Series of Unfortunate Events and other children’s books:
You never re-read a book as much as you re-read your favourite books when you were a child. Even if their influence is forgotten or invisible to you, they are part of the fabric that binds us all together in the world of literature and in the world. The very fabric has brought me here, so far from my home, to meet and celebrate these wonderful practitioners.
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