Let me begin by announcing CROCUS 2010, our annual festival on Saffron Tree, starting on the 23rd of October and going on for a delicious week. If you love kids or books or any combination of the two, you might want to stop by and check it out.
I can’t put it better than Sandhya so I give you her words.
Stories and more stories. That is what Saffron Tree is all about. And we shall be all of 4 on the 23rd of October, 2010. CROCUS, our festival, a week-long birthday party, is the perfect opportunity to have an explosion of stories, a many-flavoured feast for all our readers to gorge on. Encompassing different cultures all over the world.
From all corners-East, West, North, South.
From all times- ancient, medieval and contemporary.
Of all kinds- about art, craft, music, dance, history, mythology, storytelling, differing lifestyles, food, religion, traditions and festivals.
There’s more– interviews with those who help create these stories- an illustrator, a storyteller, an editor, and authors.
Something for everyone. A mouth-watering spread. Every day of the festival will have many such offerings, with interesting discussions in which all you readers are invited to participate and contribute.
Games and party favours? We have an exciting CROCUSWORD to participate in, and prizes to be won.
Credits for the lovely poster go to –
Meera for two inspiring ideas to kickstart it.
Vibha who came up with another drawing.
Wordjunkie for taking it all and creating the magic.
Tharini and Praba for the layout.
Sheela for implementation and success. With Praba and Meera working on feedback and tweaking.
Me? Oh I just put it up here to lap up the praise they rightly deserve 😉
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Next up, this one is from Surabhi. Dayeen Ya Bayeen releases on the 29th of October in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
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I also learned something new from this blogger I just came across. On Gotra. I’m glad someone has something concrete to say on all the khap panchayat “honour” killings. Because all I could do was froth helplessly.
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And I don’t know how many of you caught this, but the India Today editor’s letter plagiarised an Endhiran review from the Slate. Have I seen it all yet? Apparently they’ve done it before.
And if you’ve lost all faith in humanity, allow me to end with this piece – the chef who feeds the destitute. Long live his tribe (Vote for him here please – I think he deserves it). Now if only someone could smack the 20 year old who is going around protesting against books he hasn’t even begun to understand, all would be well with my world. It’s sad though, but recently I heard a 23 year old educated, media professional in Bombay say that she sympathises with the Sena ideology and I heard something shatter in my head. Oh right, that was my faith. Again. Have you guys read this piece by Rohinton Mistry, then? Why bother to teach our kids to read and host kid-lit festivals if this is an example of how young people feel about literature?
The Mad Momma 
Hmm…my faith in humanity was never very high to start with…must say it isn’t improving over the years.
Besides, should the acts of ANY politician cause surprise any more? He’s joining his g’father’s party – of course this is the line he’s going to spin!
M (cynical about all things)
I am just appalled by how almost ANYthing goes in our country these days. As a young citizen, it makes me wonder where we will draw the line, and when things will change.
If art/literature/films and free thinking are going to be curbed and stopped from reaching young minds, it really leaves not much room for hope.
oops, sorry my previous comment was meant to go on your other post! please do no publish it.
but.. but this is the right post!
Slap the bugger I say!!
He has no idea what “Such a long journey” is all about!
Anyhow, isn’t it ironical that Bal Thakeray, who forever vented his ire on the Gandhi’s for making Congress a ‘family-run-business’ should consider his own grandson worthy of his legacy?!
Smart choice Mr.T. He’s as rotten at the core as they come…your inputs, no doubt!
exactly. i’m astounded at the gall of a 20 year old twit demanding that a book be taken off the syllabus. Even if I were to take this at face value, what am I to believe – that he’s never used a cuss work in his life?
And that ass has not even read the book!
While I don’t intend to ruffle feathers, why is he studying in a Catholic institution, in the first place?
It bothers me no end how children of politicians who espouse the cause of the regional language, go to English medium schools (in India/ abroad) and how children belonging to and having such fundamentalist leanings, have no qualms about going to an insitution run by the very forces they oppose!
(You can choose not to publish it, if it seems like a controversial comment.)
no, its an opinion. fair enough.
totally agree with Roxana….contradictions galore…these are the very elements that have slowed down our progress as a country and will damage our reputation.
btw, had read about Chef Krishnan a while ago and am so thrilled he is being recognized for his work. altruistic to the core. i am also rooting for Aunradha Koirala…we need more people like them..maybe they can teach the ‘Thacks’ a lesson or two.
great work with Saffron Tree!Congratulations to those involved.
I don’t care about Aditya Thackeray. I think idiots like him are everywhere. What makes me incredibly sad is that Mumbai University was so prompt in responding to his ridiculous demands. I almost feel betrayed by my city!
May be the University didn’t get enough support from up above to wage a war against the fanatics. I hope this raises lot of awareness so that the book will be put back in syllabus. It should be a nice slap on the T dynasty’s face.
oh hell! this episode of plagiarism is sick!
love the saffron tree poster.
HI,
Who designed the poster for CROCUS…
Love it
have updated the post to include all the details. am very excited about it starting off in a couple of hours. Do get your sister and little N to check out our reccos…
Yup…all my hopes shattered too.
*goes away to rebuild them by voting for the chef*
That’s my sister in law’s movie. 🙂
Glad to see the trailer here cos she hasnt done much about the publicity. I’m trying to help her publicise the movie as much as I can!
PEOPLE, GO AND WATCH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for linking to the trailer of ‘Daayen Ya Baayen’. Its a delightful film.Its a valiant effort to make these films, and even more daunting to bring it to the public.
I have a ringside view of how small budget films with remarkable stories are routinely buried in the marketing clamour of big budget films with stories xeroxed from each other.
It is all connected to 20 year old upstarts opting to burn books rather than reading them- and getting away with it!
So small baby steps in making our children encounter a rich world of stories that are not produced by big corporates is needed, desperately!
Thanks for all the links in this post, TMM
The Saffron Tree B’day party sounds like so much fun… its only for mommies and their kids in terms of participation.. correct?
Wooow..thanks for all the news u linked up in this post…took me quite a while to read it… The plagiarism that too by an organization as reputed and big as India Today shocked me! Its such a pity.
And about Aditya thackray..frankly I’m not surprised, I’m sorry to say that family is really messed up in their heads! But the Govt meeting these kinda demands, without questioning the sanity of it…is not a good sign. This will only result in more such stupidity!
Oh the poster is so lovely. I makes me want to go right now. Congrats to the designers.
You know the thing that is funny to me is that this is bringing a book to the forefront. Which is so fun. Bear with me, I have a point. When after Salman Rushdie was the content of a book contested so much! We live is a sound bite world where controversies come in the form of images, glib statements, mostly visuals. But to read, to absorb, to make a meaning that is so personal, only a book can do. I know this idiot didn’t do any of that but I hope every other 20 year old picks up a book because of this. Any book.
First, thank you so much for linking to my post on IT’s plagiarism. Btw, they’ve apologized three times over to Slate and not once to me.
Second, as a mom and occasional kidlit reviewer, I’m utterly delighted to learn about Saffron Tree and Crocus. I’ll link to it on my blog.
Three, there’s an online petition protesting the ridiculous ban on Mistry’s work. http://www.petitiononline.com/SYBAban/petition-sign.html
There are over a 1000 signatories; I’m #264. Do sign/link to it if you’d like to register your protest.
So glad to have discovered your blog!
hey Niranjana,
I’ve signed the petition and passed it on to everyone. Forgot to link it here and am glad you did. Equally glad to have discovered your blog too. Wish I could do more than splutter in rage at their gall…. all the best. and to hell with the plagiarising idiots. As I said on your blog – those who know you, know you wrote it. And slowly others will too…
Another plagiarism! Would this behavior ever end? Nice poster 🙂