Tag Archives: indian fiction

Pongalo Pongal

Excerpt, When the Lotus Blooms, , , , , , , ,

Today on the occasion of Makara Sankranthi I was reliving the time I wrote an entire chapter in my book “When the Lotus Blooms,” about the festival of Pongal.

Pongal is a harvest festival, very important for farmers. For Tamils, it is a big occasion, with lots of preparation and festivity. Initially a celebration of the winter harvest, for farmers who toiled all year in the fields, Pongal celebrates the bounty of nature with great fanfare.

Many people believe it is Tamil New Year but that comes later in the year. I have very fond memories of Pongal which we thoroughly enjoyed especially if my grandmother Rajam was with us, as she was an outstanding cook. That was the only day in the year my mother allowed us to chew on sugar cane which she bought and washed thoroughly with soap and boiled water before serving us. Even though I grew up in Bombay I was never allowed to drink the notorious, diarrhea inducing sugarcane juice on the streets.

What was even more enjoyable was ‘Kanu” the next day. The colorful rice always attracted me and I loved watching the crows and sparrows vie with each other to get at the banana leaf laden with colored rice balls. I also remember how mad my mother got one time when our dog Raja decided to polish off the food! I didn’t realize we must be selective about our offerings.

The scene in the book shows the family gathered around the pongal pot which boils over, signifying prosperity in the future. Velandi the parayan watches the food being cooked, while hunger pangs in his belly distract him. Celebration in one household becomes the reason for envy in another.  The scene exemplifies opposites which continually rule our lives. Hunger and harvest, prosperity and desperation, bounty and death are all juxtaposed, mirroring the duality of perspective. Here is an excerpt from the book.

Nagamma had already put the rice and lentils into the pongal paanai and Sushila added the jaggery. The fire beneath the pot was flaming, burning bright and strong as the men kept adding more firewood so the pongal could boil faster. Balu had his brass plate and spoon ready and waited impatiently for the pongal to boil over. The water simmered as Nagamma added the milk. She turned to the family. “Pray all of you that as this pot of pongal boils over, so does our life boil over with good events and happiness.” She barely finished speaking when Balu noticed the pongal rapidly rising to the top of the clay pot.

“Pongalo pongal!” he yelled gleefully, hammering his spoon against the brass plate. Everyone shouted in unison, “Pongalo pongal!” clapping their hands and shouting as loudly as they could. Rajam stuck her tongue half out of her mouth, rapidly moving it from side to side in a warble louder than Sushila’s. Balu looked at her and tried to mimic her, but no one could hear his soft voice amidst the din. Rapidly removing some sticks of the firewood from under the pot, Nagamma reduced the intensity of the flame. The evil spirits hovering around the house were sure to have been frightened away with the racket they made. Rajam closed her eyes and prayed for all bad events to end and for new happy moments to surround their lives. In her mind she knew she was only praying for that one elusive event to take place.

When the Lotus Blooms has won two awards, one at the Great Southeast Book Festival and the other at the New England Book Festival.

My Childhood Friend Ranjo Writes a Review in the Financial Times

When the Lotus Blooms, , , , , , , ,

I met Ranjo when I moved to Bombay at the age of nine and we hit it off immediately. While the others played Hide and Seek, we discussed the world’s problems and our philosophy on life. Our family’s were close friends and growing up with her and her baby sister Mona, was so much fun. She was an “intellectual” even at the age of ten and I knew she would take up writing as a profession. With an incisive and critical eye she took a stand for what she believed in. This is how I remember her.

What I didnt envision was my writing a book and her reviewing it. All the characters Rajam and Muumy, she knew well growing up, yet her review is balanced and very complimentary. Our soul connection will never go and I hope I can return the favor to her some day.

Here is a sample of her review.

The skill that has been displayed in dipping into all these issues without losing the human stories of both Rajam and Dharmu is remarkable. The author does not fail to make the point that women were forced to live subservient lives in a patriarchal society, no matter how strong or powerful they may be. Even Nagamma, who controls her family with an iron fist and no perceptible velvet glove, is limited to being a domineering householder. There is no outside role for a woman of her capabilities.

To read the full review go to my blog. Ranjona Banerji currently resides in Mumbai and works as a freelance journalist. This was our last meeting in Bombay. 

I enjoyed this post which Ranjo wrote featured in the Mid Day on the Guwahati molestation.

Choosing the Right Publishing Option

When the Lotus Blooms, , , ,

As a self published author several doors automatically close, including chain book stores, libraries and official reviews.

While earlier, manuscripts gathered dust in drawers while you waited for the elusive agent or publisher to make that fateful call, such is not the case today. Several options are open to authors in terms of choosing the appropriate avenue for publishing.

Some work through agents and traditional publishers.While there is no doubt a traditional publisher gets you more avenues for sale including leading bookstores and libraries, you receive a pittance per book. This means that the onus of marketing your book is entirely on you if you want to see any royalties at the end of the year. Returns from bookstores, warehousing fees, agent fees, are all deducted from your initial advance. So unless you are Oprah Winfrey or Sarah Palin you cannot expect any returns on your effort. You end up making at best 50 cents per book. Unless your sale is in the hundred thousands forget about making money.

There are several Vanity Publishers that will publish your book and even do the formatting and book cover for a price. Once again you have no guarantees about being sold in either bookstores or libraries. You also have to be able to store the 500-1000 copies you order and deal with inventory. In order to get your book into small stores you strike a deal with each individual bookstore and most of them charge a fee for stocking your book and they take 50% of the sale price. Assuming you sell a book for 20 $ after your initial cost of printing, postage and  warehousing you might make a couple of dollars at best.

You also have the option of printing from China where the cost per book reduces drastically but then there is the problem of dealing with a huge inventory and  the burden of marketing. If you choose this option then you need to hone your bookkeeping skills because at the end of each year, bookstores return unsold books. Then there is the additional problem of keeping track of different deals with stores and keeping track of money sales etc.

After months of research I figured that what I do best is write and I didn’t want to be spending all my time keeping accounts. So I went for Print on demand with Create Space. I did have teething problems grappling with technology but once I got the book cover done, I merely formatted on Word using very basic formatting and uploaded to Create Space. Pricing my book at 2.5 times the printing cost I make a lot more money selling through Amazon including Kindle.(Nook is not doing as well)

I was also very lucky to get a publisher in India and enjoy seeing my book displayed in bookstores. I had a very successful book tour and hope to reaffirm my presence as a serious writer with my second book in the works. Although I am aware I won’t make much money in India, at least I don’t have the hassle of trying to grapple with distribution and sales long distance. I know this is my first book but it certainly isn’t my last.

As far as marketing is concerned, I spend a couple of hours a day following leads, writing to newspapers, book clubs and am free the rest of the day to do what I like to do best; Writing. There is no end to marketing. You have to decide how much you want to do and be regular with follow ups. I have decided to focus on local opportunities as this reduces travel costs.

Becoming famous or successful is a matter of destiny. As far as I am concerned I wrote from the heart So far, whoever has read my book has loved it. Going viral can happen in minutes, hours or years. But I am not concerned with that. What matters is that I maintain my authenticity as an author and continue to write from the heart. If my intention is strong I will get what is due to me. Whatever comes my way is a bonus if it is positive and a small setback if otherwise.

 

Uma Parameswaran Endorses When the Lotus Blooms

Endorsements, , , , ,

I contacted Uma Parameswaran a few months ago to ask if she would endorse my book. She is the author of several literary works, both prose and poetry specializing in South Asian culture.This she does in addition to her regular day job at the University of Winnipeg. If you haven’t already, I would recommend “What was always hers,” and “Cycle of the moon.” Despite her busy schedule Uma took the time to review and endorse my book. Here is what she has to say…

Kanchana Krishnan’s novel is an ambitious foray into reconstructing a space and time – the 1930s in Tamilnadu and East Bengal, when social and political changes were transforming the country. The everyday routine and inevitable conflicts within an extended family are scrupulously documented and the reader gets a conducted tour of  the customs and mores of  brahmin culture. The story is about two years in the lives of  Rajam,and Dharmu, their extended families and of servants who work for them.

Kanchana writes with authenticity and empathy about the culture of the era, a time when the middle class was influenced by British education and the national struggle for Independence, and also the weight of traditional beliefs. The number of characters in the novel is daunting but the author weaves them in and out of the narrative, affirming that the family, more than any single character is the protagonist.

—       Uma Parameswaran Author and Professor of English University of Winnipeg