Childrenʼs Day: A letter from a writer to her readers | Lifestyle News, The Indian Express 15/06/19, 9)20 AM

Childrenʼs Day: A letter from a writer

to her readers
I have a confession to make. As a child, I was not a
reader. Picking up a book for “fun” was like hitting
the pause button on life.
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Paro Anand

From a writer to her readers

‘I hope words open the world for youʼ

My dear readers,

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Childrenʼs Day: A letter from a writer to her readers | Lifestyle News, The Indian Express 15/06/19, 9)20 AM

I have a confession to make. As a child, I was not a reader. Picking up a

book for “fun” was like hitting the pause button on life. Basically, it was
something that had to be done as part of our family time. Just before
dinner, we all sat down and each of us read a book. I couldnʼt wait for the
hour to end so that I could start talking again.

But then, one day, something happened. I remember the exact moment,
the exact feeling even now, years and years later.

I had picked up a book called Born Free by Joy Adams. I was drawn into
the book, much like Alice down the rabbit hole. It was a book that I
wanted to be in, to be part of. This was the life I wanted to live, these
were the people I wanted to be. The book is the first part of a trilogy
about a family who adopt a lion cub and then set her free. I laughed and
wept and fantasised. After Iʼd read the trilogy, I wanted — no — needed
to read more. And so I did. And I havenʼt stopped ever since.

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What is it about reading that hooks people so much? You know the
answer to that, youʼve read it in a hundred posters in the library. But to
me, it is the ability to achieve every single dream and do every single
thing, go to every single place that I want to, from the comfort of my own
home. But not in a hit-the-pause-button-on-life kind of way. More in a
get-into-the-skin-of-the-character, live-the-world-of-words kind of way.

Thatʼs what got me into writing, too. I wanted to be an actress, a big

movie star with a paparazzi tail. I also wanted to work with wild animals —
it could be crocodiles and snakes. Just something, anything, more
interesting than the life I was leading. I tried everything — did an acting
course, spoke to the zoo director and wildlife rescue people. But no one
was giving me a job. I decided to try to write about the life I wanted. It
turned out to be quite a good story. While I was writing it, I realised that I
was living it. And it was a really thrilling experience. I believed myself, and

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Childrenʼs Day: A letter from a writer to her readers | Lifestyle News, The Indian Express 15/06/19, 9)20 AM

when others read it, they believed it, too. So I wrote some more. And
more. I knew that this was what I was born to do.

And yes, I know what youʼre probably thinking. That youʼd rather live the
adventure than read about it. I get that, I think so as well.

So hereʼs the thing. Now that I am a writer with a capital W and I have,
well, not a paparazzi tail, but I have had a photo-shoot just this morning.
And there is a young man who is called Paro because he loved my books
as a child. I am travelling the world now, Iʼm off to Sweden to launch a
book Iʼve written with a Swedish writer and Iʼve performed stories with a
Zulu writer and an Eskimo. Iʼm living the best possible life. When I look
back, I realise that words got me here. Words I read, words I wrote and
words I dreamed of.

Words opened the world for me. I Popular Photos

hope they will for you, too.

Happy Childrenʼs Day, my dear

readers (and those I hope will read
me soon), I wish the best of words
to you.
Love and pyaar,

Paro Anand

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