My passion for writing began when I was twelve years old. I remember my English teacher calling me up to the front of the class one day. She asked me if I had any older siblings, I told her I didn’t. She asked me if I persuaded someone else to write the essay I had turned in, I replied in earnest that I hadn’t. The corners of her lips turned up in a small smile that lit her eyes up as she said: “Very well done,” and returned my notebook. I am deeply indebted to these kind acts of encouragement from parents, teachers, friends and family, as they were instrumental in propelling my scrawled poems on the margins of my notebooks into a full-fledged novel.
My PM-YUVA Journey
On a fine June evening of 2021, my mother saw the news and informed me that the National Book Trust, Govt of India had announced a nationwide contest in search of young authors under the age of 30 under the “Prime Minister’s Young, Upcoming, and Versatile Authors (PM-YUVA) Mentorship and Scholarship Scheme.” I dug deeper and found that there were three themes under which we were directed to submit a 5000-word manuscript. I chose “Lesser-Known Freedom Fighters” with Shri Vanchi Iyer, from around my native town of Tirunelveli, as my muse.
Why Vanchi?
When I was looking for inspiration, I narrowed down my field of view to unsung freedom fighters in and around my native place of Tirunelveli. “Vanchinathan” popped up as a minor Wikipedia page. He was a 26-year-old employed as a Forest Guard with the government who was responsible for the only successful assassination-suicide of Colonial South India. This story drew me in immediately with intrigue. Thus, began my fruitless search to find material on Vanchi. All I got was a 10-page synopsis of the entire event in a Tamil book at a popular bookstore in Tirunelveli. This piqued my interest even more. The potential for firsthand research and the scope of the subject in a historical fiction narrative made me decisive.
The Selection Process
The manuscripts were scrutinized on three levels. (It was quite a nail-biting wait spanning over months). I was ecstatic and duly intimidated when I received a call for an online interview in front of the jury, which was the second level. After the interview, came another pause as the manuscripts underwent a third round of evaluation. Then on Christmas afternoon, 2022, the results were announced! As you can imagine, my family, friends, and I were over the moon upon seeing my name among the 75 chosen young authors! It was purely a combination of years of passion-honed writing skills, grit, proper planning, faith in your story, and the grace of Lady Luck!
The Mentorship
Then came the exciting phase – the training and the research work! I am profoundly grateful for the entire team at the National Book Trust, Govt. of India, led by Director Col. Yuvraj Malik sir. My gratitude extends to the Chief Editor Kumar Vikram sir, my assigned editor-in charge, Vasundhara Lal ma’am, and my mentor Dr Babitha Justin. They, along with so many of their team members, whipped up an absolutely nourishing schedule of masterclasses by eminent authors, publishers, historians, and researchers. They helped nurture and polish our raw talent into the 75 books published. They guided us patiently for 6 months, through masterclasses, regular check-ins (in the form of monthly reports and deadlines), and helped us with every problem we encountered.
The Editing Phase
The final manuscript of my novel underwent multiple layers of scrutiny and editing by both my mentor and my editor-in-charge. It was a back-and-forth process of suggestions and edits that helped enhance my novel and furnish it with the much-needed embellishments. When I received my first proofs, it was a uniquely joyful moment. And when I saw the first cover design of my book, I was over the moon!
The Book Launch
At the World Book Fair, New Delhi, we had the privilege of having the Nobel laureate in Literature 2022, Ms. Annie Ernaux launch all 75 books published as part of the PM-YUVA Series!
Meeting the Hon’ble President of India at the Rashtrapati Bhawan
On 11th February, 2024, I had the privilege of meeting the Hon’ble President of India, Ms. Draupadi Murmu to present my debut novel as part of Sahitya Rachna Shivir, organized by the National Book Trust, GoI!
Grab your copy of “The Least in the Company” now!
https://www.nbtindia.gov.in/books_detail__60__pm-yuva-series__3369__the-least-in-the-company.nbt
AARTHI GANAPATHY 