Anupama Ravichandran, studying in Std. 11 in P.S.B.B. Nungambakkam, Chennai has been awarded the National Bal Shree award for Creative Writing. She shares some of the best moments of her experience and her passion for writing with Gopika K, Student Reporter, YOCee.
Q: What was the significance of the Bal Shree award?
A: The award is given for creativity and excellence in four fields: art, writing, performing arts and scientific innovation. In writing, language is not a barrier. Writing in many Indian languages and English is taken into account for deciding on this award. There are different stages – regional, zonal and the national stage.
Q: What did you enjoy the most at the National round meet?
A: Writing my heart out with no boundaries. Meeting people with beautiful minds at a lovely 10 day camp. Getting to stroke rabbits there and experiencing ‘winter’ for the first time in Delhi.
Q: How did you feel when you were first selected and how did you feel after you got the prize?
A: When I got selected I was excited and when I won the award I was doubly excited!
Q: Where did your story get published?
I won another competition called the ‘Young Author’s Hunt’. My story was hand-picked by eminent writers Chetan Bhagat and Ruskin Bond from about 10,000 entries across the country. Along with 50 other prize-winning entries, my story was published by Rupa Publications in a book titled ‘A Twist in the Tale’. The title of my story is ‘Eggs and Patterns’. Proceeds from the book go to charity and winners got Kindle Readers.
Q: What is the most challenging aspect of creative writing?
A: For me, it is probably matching up the speed at which my imagination runs and the speed at which I write. Once thoughts start flowing they can’t be curbed, it’s like waterfalls. But I guess the more I started writing, the balance soon sets in.
Q: What is your ambition?
A: I want to be a good human being and do my bit of service to mankind, animals and the environment. I have not yet decided my career, but I might become a doctor or a herpetologist, who still continues to write!
Gopika is an Economics graduate on the outside, and a writer on the inside. She used to be a student reporter for YOCee which she says, gave her the kickstart to move on to writing with her university magazine – The Context, an online news website called the Bastion, and become a peer tutor at the University Writing Centre, Her post-lockdown plan currently is to do her two-year fellowship with Teach for India