Clean Bowled Butterfingers is my Favourite Book- A Khyrunnisa

The Rajagiri 360 degree, the first ever literary, art and film festival organized
by a school in Kerala on 18 and 19th October turned out to be
memorable for both students and teachers alike. Among the many talented writers
and artists who attended the event included A Khyrunnisa whose Butterfingers series
featuring the misadventures of the central character Amar Kishen has become a
delight for children of all ages. The students of Rajagiri Public School and other schools were eager to meet the author with their curious questions and doubts. Accompanied by Prof P Vijayakumar whom she
calls her ‘butterhalf’, the couple delighted teachers and participants with
their ability to laugh at themselves. Pointing to her fracture in the right hand,
Khyrunnisa said it is her way of wishing good look to the literature fest which
is a celebration of words. She felt books are the perfect hideaways from the
Emoji Land. Even as the allotted time for ‘Meet the Author’ was over, children continued
to ask questions and she was only delighted to answer a few more. Here are some
of the questions raised by children and edited answers.
Ma'm do your feelings affect what you write? (Gayatri K Jaykar)
My feelings don't usually affect what I write. I
am a calm person and unlike other authors who are very angry and write about
tragic or angering incidents.
Are you
content with your stories after the book is published or after reading the book
yourself, have you felt like doing some modifications here and there to the
story? (Eric Jacob 6A)
I am really satisfied with 'Clean Bowled
Butterfingers'. My favourite book is also Clean Bowled. But I wanted to make
some changes in other books.
Would you
write more books for the women folk, as it will be a great gift for our
mothers?
Yes I would love to write more books for adults
but I am currently working on a new book for the Butterfinger series which will
be released by the end of next year.
How do
you control your sense of humor as excessive humor can hurt someone's feelings?
(Shaan Antony)
Yet that's something all authors including me should
always keep in mind while writing books. After reading a chapter, I read it
with the eyes of a reader, to know if there are any corrections to be made.
after writing each chapter, I always prefer showing it to my husband to know
his opinion and any correction told by him would be my supreme preference. When
I write my story, I get into the character to know how well humor plays a part
in a specific incident. Sometimes I even shown my son to know a child's
perspective. I love humor stories for which I get idea from day to day life
incidents.
When did
you start writing and which was your first book? (Nirvaan Nair, 6 c)
I was not a writer and started writing by
appearing in a competition that Tinkle magazine had organised. I wrote a comic
name Butterfingers which won the second prize and that's how I pursued writing.
Tinkle magazine asked me to write and that was later published as books by
Penguin. Hence there was no first book.
What would be your advice to budding authors?
Rose Kappan 6A
My advice to budding authors would be to read as
much as you can. You should also try writing different types and genres of
books. You should write and read simultaneously each and every day.
Do you hide secrets in your books?
Well sometimes yes. I write about my family, so
they mostly know about it.
Did publishing a book change your writing
process? (Keya 7 B)
Yes, it changed my writing process because earlier
I wrote as a hobby. In publishing, I have to write a book with in a particular
time period.
Who inspired you to write stories?
No one. I started by career by writing a story for
a competition.
At which age did you start writing?
Around the age of 40.
Approximately, how much time do you take to
write books?
It depends on the story. But now sometimes I have
to finish writing quickly because the publishers give me a deadline.
Why did you choose to write a story based on
your son? (Mishelle 5 C)
My stories are not actually based on my son. I
just named it after him. But there are some similarities.
During your school days who was your
favourite author? (Anagha Unnikrishnan, 7 C)
PG Wodehouse
Do you want each book to stand on its own or
are you trying to make a series with connections between each book?
(Sumedha E 5E)
There are connections between the Butterfingers
series but still we can enjoy any book on its own.
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