Author: Anita Nair

  • The 3rd Anita’s Attic Lecture and Season 6 Graduation | You are invited

    The-3rd-Anitas-Attic-Lecture-and-Season-6-Graduation

    Join twelve authors for an evening of ‘Heresay On The Metro’ showcasing their literary strengths at the Rangoli – Metro Art Center on 14 September 2018 at 5.00 pm.

     
    Anita’s Attic, India’s premier ‘literary mentorship program’ helps aspiring writers hone ‘The Art of Storytelling’ across multiple genres. This intense twelve-week workshop conducted by the celebrated author Anita Nair not only enables literary talents to find their voice but also introduces them to established writers, publishers and agents who visit ‘The Attic’ every week.

    The graduating batch of Season 6 comprises I.P consultants, art curators, knowledge managers, visual communicators, technologists, homemakers, marketers and digital strategists. What binds these diverse folks together is their friendship with words and an overwhelming desire to become published authors someday. To mark their graduation, they have collaboratively spun a satirical tale on the power of rumors, fake news and gossip, called “Hearsay On The Metro.”

    The evening will also host the 3rd Annual Attic Lecture by Appupen, on the subject “The Magic of Dissent“.

    A comics creator, visual artist and musician, Appupen tells stories from the mythical dimension called Halahala.
    Appupen has been creating the mythology of Halahala since 2005 and his first graphic novel, ‘Moonward’ was published by Blaft in 2009. Then came ‘Legends of Halahala’ and ‘Aspyrus’, both from Harper Collins. His fourth graphic novel, ‘The Snake and the Lotus’, is published by Amazon-Westland, 2018. Appupen launched his online comic series with the popular superhero satire ‘Rashtraman’ and the politically charged ‘Dystopian Times’ in 2015. He is the founder/editor of Brainded India, an arts collective with an agenda. Join us for an exciting audio-visual presentation that brings alive the magic of dissent as seen through Appupen’s eyes.

    The Attic Lecture will be followed by the Season 6 Graduation Event of Anita’s Attic.

  • Banasri Gupta

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    I am : From West Bengal. A software engineer. Writer. Painter. Puzzle aficionado. Mother of two awesome daughters – a teenager and a toddler.

    Presently biding my time : Honing my writing skills.

    As I secretly follow my dreams of : Publishing my first novel.

    Part of the : Creative Writing Mentorship Program from June 30 to September 15, 2018

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    About being a part of Anita’s Attic Creative Writing program

    Anita’s Attic is one of the best things to have happened. On the very first day she asked us to identify the project that we’d be working on. Week after week we progressed on our piece of work with her helpful advice, insightful feedback on the craft of writing and one-on-one reviews. What may have seemed impossible became possible with the discipline that she had instilled in us. Amidst up-and-downs of life we all managed to produce our weekly assignments before the deadline. Anita’s guidance, personal touch, humorous anecdotes made the twelve weeks totally worthwhile. The guest ranging from Authors, Publishers, editors and literary agents gave us a 360 degree view of the writing world.

    Our batch, everyone would say, was a quiet batch, but it was an equally inspiring batch of strong women and gentlemen. I wish everyone success in their writing journey and a very wonderful life.

    Banasri’s Bio

    Banasri is a software engineer by profession and holds a bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering. She was placed third in slogan writing for the Times of India, Bangalore times in 2004. One of her short stories was placed fourth in the national Write India Season 2 for Shobha De’s Prompt, Jan 2018. She is an avid puzzle solver and was selected in the Regional mathematics Olympiad, in her school days.

  • Trivikram Prasad

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    I am : A software technologist who loves to teach, learn and write.

    Presently biding my time : Work full-time in a software company, write about my experiences in my blog and publish short stories on Medium, Writing and the VeriHelp app

    As I secretly follow my dreams of : Completing my memoirs of my teen years in Nigeria

    Part of the : Creative Writing Mentorship Program from June 30 to September 15, 2018

    My Blog : TrivikramPrasad

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    About being a part of Anita’s Attic Creative Writing program

    I have developed leaps and bounds as a writer over the course of twelve weeks in the workshop. Anita has imparted a growing sense of confidence in my writing that I did not earlier have. Her insightful and incisive comments sharpened my writing skills in ways I had not imagined. It was also an amazing experience getting to know the other participants, interacting and learning from them. It is solely due to this workshop that I am writing something that I had thought of doing for over two decades but never got around to it.

    Trivikram’s Bio

    I have lived, studied and worked in Nigeria, India, Dubai and USA. Recently I started teaching Design Thinking & Innovation Management for MBA students in a university and am loving the experience.

    Professional

    Over 24 years of experience creating, driving and managing software engineering teams in some of the leading software companies in the world. I hold a Bachelors’ degree in Engineering from Mysore University and a Masters’ Degree in Engineering from Arizona State University. I have co-founded a mobile gaming startup and also provide technology consulting to early stage startups.

  • Anupama Vijayakumar

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    I am : An omnivorous reader and a closet fiction writer, whose cheap thrills include stumbling upon exquisitely crafted sentences.

    Presently biding my time : Trying to live mindfully and filling my days with honest writing.

    As I secretly follow my dreams of : Becoming a ‘real’ writer, with a distinct and unique literary voice.

    Part of the : Creative Writing Mentorship Program from June 30 to September 15, 2018

    My Blog : MomOfAllTrades

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    About being a part of Anita’s Attic Creative Writing program

    I came to Anita’s Attic with an open mind as Anita Ma’am had suggested, simply as a student and nothing more. To have my work reviewed meticulously, week after week by someone as accomplished and experienced as Anita Ma’am, is a privilege I will cherish for a lifetime. The greatest learnings I take back with me are how to chisel my writing so that it feels alive, to write with complete honesty, how being disciplined is more important than inspiration or even talent, to nurture my writing with the dignity it deserves above all to believe in myself. The sessions by the stalwarts in the publishing industry have helped me to understand better, how the publishing industry works, as well as to set realistic expectations for myself, as a writer. The time shared with the other participants, whom I’ve begun to think of as my ‘tribe’ has been wonderful and invigorating. The twelve Saturdays I spent at the Attic has changed the way I look at writing. It is most definitely a craft which has to be honed and perfected, but more importantly it a way of life, to be pursued diligently, reverently and with honesty.

    Anupama’s Bio

    Anupama is a freelance content writer and a tentative fiction writer. She is trying to raise a motley crew which consists of- a freshly minted teenager, a red-eared slider turtle called Leonardo and an unruly vegetable garden with a mind of its own; fortified with copious amounts of tea. You can read some of her published work in the links below.

    https://www.huffingtonpost.in/anupama-vijayakumar/why-i-need-to-teach-my-so_b_9282148.html
    https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/the-cut-and-thrust-in-the-wake-of-a-sliced-finger/article21822951.ece
    https://www.idiva.com/author/anupama-vijayakumar/15

  • Chemmannore Renooj Jacob

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    I am : A work in progress

    Presently biding my time : : Writing my debut book which is a collection of poems, through which I narrate the story of a woman.

    As I secretly follow my dreams of : Being a writer

    Part of the : Creative Writing Mentorship Program from June 30 to September 15, 2018

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    About being a part of Anita’s Attic Creative Writing program

    Getting handpicked by Anita Nair was one of the high point’s in my life. The program helped me to identify the style of writing I was good at and the genre that I could focus on. The Saturday classes and the weekly assignments hones your writing skills and helps to craft one’s work better.

    Renn’s Bio

    Renn consults as an IP Strategist for a top 5 IP law firm of India. His earlier boutique IP firm which he founded was acquired by the IP law firm where he currently consults. He has done his EPGBM from IIM, Calcutta and has a Masters and Bachelors in Engineering.

  • Lavanya Srihari

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    I am : A bookworm addicted to the smell of libraries and book shops, a closet writer (so far), an experiential cook, a fan of quirky movies, a believer in lounging, sauntering and other such forms of exercise, an incorrigible chatterer who loves solitude equally, an admirer of trees and their persistence in the face of human stupidity

    Presently biding my time : : Doing what needs to be done while walking a parallel universe of ideas and words in my head

    As I secretly follow my dreams of : Telling stories well and writing amazing prose

    As good as: This mad, bad, sad, glad, good, horrendous, marvellous world we live in! or Schrodinger’s Cat!

    Part of the : Creative Writing Mentorship Program from June 30 to September 15, 2018

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    About being a part of Anita’s Attic Creative Writing program

    I enjoyed being a part of this program. Anita, in her own words, is a taskmaster. She has taught us the importance of self-discipline. Her knack of breaking down difficult things and fears to manageable daily activities is liberating. A problematic mountain often becomes an easily scalable hill after a session with her!

    Her weekly critiques of my writing boosted my confidence tremendously and showed me where I can do better. I have gone from a solitary secret scribbler to one who dreams of being a published writer eventually!

    I loved these Saturdays where I could spend time with others who share a passion for writing. I am fortunate to have met and shared this journey with so many warm friendly intelligent and supportive people.

  • Sandhya Ranganathan

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    I am : A dreamer, a writer, a globetrotter

    Presently biding my time : Trying to write 400 words a day between a full-time technical communications career and being Mom to my eight-year old human child and three feline ones.

    As I secretly follow my dreams of : Being a published author. My recurring dream since childhood

    Part of the : Creative Writing Mentorship Program from June 30 to September 15, 2018

    My Website : www.varnika.co

    Recent Published Work : Mia finds a home

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    About being a part of Anita’s Attic Creative Writing program

    It took me ten years to complete my first (as yet unpublished) fiction novel. Ten years of trying to eke out a writing discipline between life events, learning the craft by trial and error and ultimately not having the confidence that I was good enough.

    I wanted to do it differently for my second book. So I joined Anita’s program and it has been a dramatically different experience. I got into a cadence of writing, and received real-time tips, feedback and encouragement. It was wonderful to meet fellow writers and others in the publishing industry week after week. I didn’t want it to end. I wish I had this opportunity ten years ago. If you get the chance, grab it.

    Sandhya’s Bio

    Sandhya is a Graduate in English Literature from Lucknow University and has done her Advanced Masters in Global Management. She currently works as a Section Head in Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Knowledge Management division. She is fascinated by people and what makes them tick. That has driven her over three decade global career as a leader, a coach, and champion of inclusion and diversity. After she staggers home from work, she enjoys pottering around her home and garden in Bangalore with the aforementioned babies.

  • Season 6 – A Cricketer turned Writer comes to the Attic

    Very often writers wonder where do other writers come from. What did they do before they decided to write a book? What was that epiphany that led them towards a literary life? And what were the challenges? Who better than long time friend of the Attic and first class cricketer Harimohan Paruvu to dispel doubts and worries and fill Season 6 writers with the fortitude for the way ahead. Author of books such as The Men Within by Harimohan Paruvu ( novel) and 50 Not out ( leadership book) Harimohan, once fast bowler now man of letters left the Season 6 writers clean bowled. Thank you…

    About Harimohan Paruvu 

    Harimohan Paruvu (born on 14 August, 1967) is an Indian author, former cricketer, columnist, screenwriter and motivational speaker, known for his English language books centered on the game of Cricket.

  • Season 6- Anitas’s Attic family welcomes Penguin Random House.

    In May this year Anita’s Attic acquired a new knowledge associate – Penguin Random House India. So it was with immense pleasure we welcomed PRH Editor-in-Chief Meru Gokhale and Tarini Uppal, Editor, to share publishing and editorial insights with Anita’s Attic writers, past and present. Thank you Meru, Tarini and PRH for gracing the session with your presence.

    About Penguin Random House:

    Penguin Random House India knows the market,understands new forms and styles of literature in India,and is a subsidiary of the well established and well respected global publishing house, Penguin Random House.

  • Season 6 – Harper Collins offers insights about editing and publishing

    A good piece of writing makes that quantum leap to literary worthiness if an inspired editor can help the writer make that jump.
    You have that manuscript ready, but how do you turn it into a novel? It is going to go through a series of edits before completion. Hence for session 4 our writers at Anita’s Attic had the wonderful opportunity of hearing three fine editors share their acumen and offer invaluable advice. Thank you Udayan Mitra, Sohini Basak and Rahul Soni from HarperCollins India for dropping into the Attic and taking the writers through the publishing process.

    About Harper Collins India

    HarperCollins Publishers India Pvt Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of HarperCollins Worldwide and came into being in 1992 completing 25 years in India and almost 200 years globally. HarperCollins India is the world’s largest entertainment to education publisher.