Meet the Author at Witty International School Pawan Baug (2017-18).

Meet the Author

Reading is an act of contemplation, perhaps the only act in which we allow ourselves to merge with the consciousness of another human being. Witty International School, Pawan Baug, encouraged the passion for reading and writing amongst the young enthusiasts of Grade VI and VII by inviting the prominent author Mr Deepak Dalal.

We possess the books we read, animating the waiting stillness of their language, but they possess us also, filling us with thoughts and observations, asking us to make them part of ourselves. But in present times we are becoming a society of people who rarely allow ourselves to slow down enough to think and contemplate hence it is becoming difficult to spend time reading a book.

Meet Deepak Dalal, a writer, traveller and a naturalist who has since 1998 given young Indian readers a brilliant portrayal of our nation’s biodiversity, all wrapped up in a fast paced adventure story revolving around two teenagers – Vikram and Aditya. Touted as India’s Hardy Boys, the two boys have explored the length and breadth of India – Sometimes chasing poachers in the jungles of Ranthambore, sometimes meeting the elusive Snow Leopard, sometimes coming face to face with the ancient inhabitants of Andaman Islands and sometimes dwelling into history and unearthing the Mumbai where Churchgate was not just a station but truly the entrance to a Church.

Ranthambore Adventure, recently released, is the tale of Genghis the tiger, and the regal species' struggle for survival against all odds. "The tiger is under pressure," says Dalal, "primarily from poachers who export tiger bones to the Far-East for Chinese medicines. But tigers are also an 'evolutionary pride'. Given half the chance, they can regenerate rapidly and survive."

For Dalal, historical fiction is a way of learning about aamchi Mumbai, outside of textbooks. “Schools are so preoccupied with Math and Science that History and Art often get neglected, particularly the history of your own city. Kids barely know anything about old Bombay, “he says. The writer hoped to bridge this gap by introducing fact-into-fiction scenarios at the three-hour long session.

Commenting on this initiative, Principal Mr Bijo Kurian said, “At Witty International, we believe, regular reading enriches vocabulary, helps brain development, enhances concentration, increases knowledge along with various other benefits. Such interactive sessions with renowned authors make reading an enjoyable journey for our students, while also allowing them to gain insights directly from the experts.”