Sudha Murty values the feedback on her children's books by young readers in Bengaluru or any other Indian city more than that of her London-based granddaughters, who may not be able to relate to stories. Her two London-based granddaughters are both pre-teens and find her books "extremely simple" - they prefer English classics, Murty says. But Indian children have something more relevant and sharp to say because they understand the setting better.
Murty, who has just published "Grandpa's Bag of Stories," the latest in her "Bag of Stories" series, believes that India's young readers give her more usable feedback. She says her two granddaughters, with less experience of India, don't bring as much personal understanding to her work. Murty's daughter Akshata is married to former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and they have two daughters, Anoushka and Krishna.
At the age of 74 years, Murty revels in writing and writing alone, with 46 published books translated into 23 Indian languages. Her recent book has a character named 'Ajja, inspired by her husband N.R. Narayana Murthy, who is portrayed as an entertaining teller of stories.
Murty is versatile over a wide range of writing genres, extending from mere novels to travelogues. The art of writing for children, she says, has to be simple. She stays fully immersed in the child's perspective: humor, happy endings, and life lessons submerged but never blatant. Her aim is to create enjoyable and engaging stories without being overly descriptive or repetitive.
Born in 1950 at Hubli in Karnataka, Murty, an engineer and educationist, was the cofounder of Infosys along with her husband. She has also been a philanthropist and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in March this year. She started writing with a Kannada travelogue in 1980, before publishing her first English book, "Wise and Otherwise," in 2000.
Besides the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2023 and RK Narayan Award for Literature in 2006, Murty has been bestowed with many more. But beyond everything lies the candid feedback of kids-as their opinions are the most unbiased, blunt feedback one ever gets.
A voracious reader, Murty avoids this inhibiting writing schedule, believing that the stories should come of their own accord. She often dictates her stories, since her thinking is fast-paced, and edits them later.
Her first book, "Coming Home," part of the best-selling children's series 'The Gopi Diaries,' was finished in less than four hours. A new Rajya Sabha MP, Murty has pledged full attendance, saying that this role gave her an opportunity to serve the country much more directly.
Murty jokes that writing skill is not a hereditary factor, though her grandkids have evinced interest in writing. "I encourage them. But say the way is theirs," she says.
"Grandpa's Bag of Stories", published by Penguin Random House India, is a compilation of fanciful stories set against the backdrop of Uttarakhand and is dedicated to her grandson Ekagrah Murty.
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