Butterfingers is back. This time in a collection of short stories, The Misadventures of Butterfingers . Award-winning writer, Khyrunnisa A., who has a large fan following for her humorous, insightful writing, never looked back since she created the sports-loving Amar Kishen a.k.a Butterfingers, so named because of his tendency of dropping things, for Tinkle magazine. “I had not planned to write a novel, but Tinkle suggested I write one, so I gave it a shot.” Thus emerged Howzzat Butterfingers , Goal, Butterfingers! and Clean Bowled, Butterfingers! “After three novels, I thought let me do short stories,” says Khyrunnisa, who was in town recently for a session on her latest book. The Misadventures of Butterfingers has received praise from Ruskin Bond, Jerry Pinto and even Cyrus Broacha.
Her first story, Ghosts at Greenpark School , 65-pages long, is a novella. It is, as Khyrunnisa’s professor, says, a masterpiece. It is an ingenious adaptation of three of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet , Macbeth and Merchant of Venice . “My students always wanted me to write a ghost story. So to please some of those who wanted a ghost story from me, I wrote something they didn’t expect!” says Khyrunnisa in characteristic wit. “I like suspense and the eerie part of ghost stories, but not stark, yuck horror. I thought of weaving in Shakespeare’s death centenary into the story. Kishore says let’s have Shakespeare’s plays. Arjun says let’s have Sherlock. So they write a play,” explains Khyrunnisa. The effortless and engaging way in which she has adapted all these literary works is remarkable, reflecting her masterful storytelling and writing skills. “I fine-tuned the whole thing so as not to go completely to the adult level,” says the former associate professor of English at All Saints’ College, Thiruvananthapuram.
For those who have grown up reading the Butterfingers series, the stories continue to appeal. “Because Butterfingers was written for Tinkle, people think it is meant for children. But the novels are for older children and adults too, so at different levels, you get different things from the book.” How does it feel to be immersed in the world of Butterfingers? “It’s as if I am there in that school. Butterfingers lives in my head. There is a nice rapport between the students and teachers, though the students drive them up the wall. There is also a lot of camaraderie among the students. I have exploited their quirks without actually exploiting them.”
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