Aspiring authors get chance to work under established writers

Eleven noted authors have been roped in to mentor aspiring writers in a programme, which is based on a contest format, with winners getting a chance to publish their stories.
Under the 'Write India' campaign launched here recently, a preview of the Delhi Literature Festival scheduled for November 28-30 in the city, the programme invites aspiring writers to tell a story under tutelage of the noted authors.
"A story has this unique potential to keep people engaged and entertained. In this initiative we have 11 of India's leading authors who have come together with Times of India in extending this opportunity to all those who would like to write and get their works published," says Vinita Dawra Nangia, Director, Write India Initiative.

Amish Tripathi of 'Shiva Trilogy' fame, author Chetan Bhagat, banker-turned-writer Ravi Subramanian, fictional thriller writer Ashwin Sanghi, Durjoy Datta, romance novelist Ravinder Singh, chic-lit author Madhuri Banerjee, writer and poet Anita Nair, besides Tuhin A Sinha, Jaishree Misra and Preeti Shenoy are the participating authors.
"The authors are from the young lot and are actually top selling authors of the day," says Nangia.
She was emphatic of the importance of the need for people to tell their stories, for it is through stories that messages are best put forth and received, especially in a country like India, which has perennially been a land of storytellers.

"We have had the oral tradition of telling stories and telling stories through painting, puppeteering and through ballads.

"Stories originate in communities, religions and families and are passed down from one generation to other. But there there are also individuals who tell stories. So, if each of us has a story to tell, then here is the platform," she says.
The initiative will introduce each of these authors as the "Author of the Month" for a span of 21 days, during which the writer will launch a preface and a story writing competition will be thrown open for all aspirants.

"Amish is the first 'Author of the Month' for July and he has already given a preface which will be unveiled on July 7. You just need to go to the website and register and start writing a story beginning with the preface," she says.