She is a woman of many talents and hobbies, but her creative energies mostly find expression through her writing. She is Malvika Dekhane, the author of 40+ children’s books, of which many have won prestigious awards.
Though her forte is fiction, through her deep insights she is able to write about a wide variety of subjects including adventure, science, and the environment. As an author, it is her dream to offer content that is enriching and intriguing.
Her books are not just a source of great entertainment but also good values, inspiration, environmental concern, and personal excellence. Over years, many of her books have been converted into audiobook format, while some are available in Braille as well.
But books are not the only things Malvika writes. A full-time freelance writer, and M.Sc. Home Science postgraduate, she has over 25+ years of teaching experience and has also authored 350+ short stories and articles.
Now retired from service, the author dedicates her time to freelance writing and the craft she loves the most – i.e., fiction writing for children.
She lives in Nagpur along with her husband and her mother with her children living and working in different cities of India.
When not writing, she loves to engage her time in other creative and intellectual pursuits such as reading, gardening, travelling, learning new things, and attending literary programs and international film festivals.
Her favourite book is the Mahabharata, for she finds something new to learn every time she re-reads it. As an author, it is her goal to have at least one of her books feature on every child’s bookshelf.
Malvika can be reached on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or on her website malvikadekhane.com.
We at bookGeeks got a lucky chance to have a candid conversation with the author. Here is what she has to say about her love for books, reading, writing, and literature, and about her latest book, Isha and the Hedgerow-Folk.
| Who is Ms. Malvika as a person? What are her likes and dislikes? |
| I am an upright, hardworking, organized [well mostly], focused, and eco-conscious person. ‘Live and let live' is my motto. I feel one should keep learning new skills and things. I feel time, energy and resources are precious, don’t waste them. I feel sad for people who waste them. I dislike dishonest people. With others, I get along easily. I am aware of my shortcomings and am working on them. I like reading, writing, gardening, travelling, and watching good international movies. I have been a voracious reader since childhood and would read books just to emulate my father and elder sister. And then it became a way of life. I read all types of books, all genres, right from history to mystery; horror to humour; DIY to fairy tales, classics to comics, philosophy to politics; newspapers to magazines. It might seem funny but I used to halt and glance at bits of paper lying on the road. It was my mad-reader phase. I used to purchase books from the money received as a gift and my scholarship money. I love to travel especially to places with a religious, ancient, and archaeological background. Right from Dwarka to Damascus; Hampi to Hadrian’s Wall; Pyramids to Pompei; various forts and museums. I have my list of must-visit places and countries. I like to read literature from different countries (translated to English). Gardening is my hobby. Plants are soothing. I also watch the flora and fauna in our little garden. I attend Literature and Film festivals when organized in Nagpur. I am also a member of literature groups in Nagpur. |
| Tell us something about your professional life. |
| I taught Hotel Management subjects at +2 level in vocational courses for 25 years. As the subjects ranged from Textiles to Maintenance, Bakery to Housekeeping, my horizon widened. The courses were attached to a school. So, I had the opportunity to be with and observe kids between the ages of 4-15 years. When I write literature for kids, this experience is of great help. |
| Let’s talk about your latest book Isha and the Hedgerow-Folk. What is the book all about and who would you recommend it to? |
| Isha and the Hedgerow-Folk is about love, empathy, and friendship between Isha and the little animals found in and around the Hedgerows and in the garden. These include - mongoose, hedgehogs, rats and mice, crows, bulbuls, sparrows, chameleons, and squirrels. Polly the parrot is also an important character and she expresses displeasure at being caged. She is clever enough to bargain for her freedom. The story is about helping each other in crisis. It is also about preserving nature and its small-sized elements. Each element is like a link in a long chain, that is nature. Break one link and the chain is damaged. It is an endearing story. It has mystery, friendship, family relationships, deception, adventure, and the message of preserving nature. The novella is for kids aged 8-12 yrs. Parents will love it too. It can be a good read-aloud book. |
| Why did you choose a girl child as the central protagonist? And how did you come up with the character of Isha? |
| My stories and novellas have both boy and girl protagonists. This storyline and the age group demanded a girl-child protagonist. Girls naturally tend to gel with and bind things together, especially on the domestic front. Generally, their mindset is more family oriented. Also, at this age, they are sharper. So, it had to be Isha. |
| You have penned 40 books for children so far. Tell us about your journey as a children’s writer. |
| My journey as a published writer started when I was 16. I wrote my first article and it got published in the newspaper. This was followed by 4-5 articles. Thereafter, I wrote only when some issue disturbed me. Later, I started writing articles and short stories for grown-ups and kids. They got published in leading newspapers and magazines (Femina, Woman’s Era, Gokulam, Indian Express, Hitavada, and leading Marathi magazines and Newspapers). Slowly I realized I had a flair for writing children’s literature. Local book publishers liked my kid-lit and published my books. They also suggested new subjects. Thus began my journey as a children’s writer. Although I still write articles and stories for all age groups. I have won several prestigious awards for my books and stories. While writing for children, my novellas and stories (unless they are fairy tales or myths, folk tales in the retold category, dream-incidence, etc.) have a strong base of facts, logic, and age-appropriateness. The adventures have to be realistic. I call it fact-o-fiction. In Isha, only those animals which can modulate voice and have come in contact with Polly the domestic parrot can talk to her in ‘her kind of language’. |
| Which amongst your books is your favourite and why? |
| All my books are dear to me. I write only if I feel strongly about that topic. Two characters are very close to my heart. One book Sagarikampache bet in Marathi, meaning- Sea-quake Island has a character, Doctor Khare. I have based it on my father who I lost very early. Another character Ramaji in my memoir, ‘When Mala was a Kid,’ is based on our domestic help Ramaji. |
| According to you, what should be done to inculcate reading as a habit in young kids? |
| Start young. Fortunately, today so many books are available for children in all age groups. There are libraries in each area. We have online facilities also. We also have old-book bazaars. So, start early. Let books be a part of a child’s daily routine. Let a child hold and feel books. Bedtime stories are a convenient way. Children emulate parents. So, the ball is in the parents’ court. This is tried and tested method. My children are avid readers and now my grandchildren too enjoy books. Schools have well-equipped libraries too. They can have read-aloud sessions in classrooms. Encourage kids to write or speak about the book in brief. |
| What are some of the unique challenges while penning children’s fiction? |
| The kids today are very smart and vocal. They question you, challenge you. You must have some idea about their thought process. So, writing a new story is challenging. |
| Any upcoming writing endeavors that you are currently working on? |
| My childhood memoir ‘WHEN MALA WAS A KID’ is just out on the market. My Marathi novel ‘CHAKWA’ is now on the bookshelves. It is based on Anorexia nervosa- a sad, perplexing, psychological condition that affects the person. The novel is the first of its kind in Marathi. I have personified Anorexia as Chakwa. Chakwa is supposed to be a mischievous spirit that makes you forget your path and goal and keep wandering. Anorexia generally does the same thing to a person. The simile ends here. I am working on a two-part adventure novella for children in the age-group ten to fourteen yrs. It has shades of history, mystery, environmental protection, and temple architecture. it also focuses on the conservation of our rich heritage. |
| What other genres of writing interest you? |
| I want to try my hand at picture books. |
| A few words for bookGeeks. |
| Thumbs up! It is a well-crafted and interesting concept. We have hardly any Indian sites in this category. The name is so apt. It presents a fair review of books in all categories. Last year I checked this site while surfing. Now with new features, it is even more interesting. I never thought I will be interviewed by bookGeeks. It is a boon, a nice platform for authors like me. Keep it up! |
Want to read the story of Isha and the Hedgerow-Folk by Malvika Dekhane? Buy your copy using the link below.
