I had heard of the book The Night Life of Trees, by Chennai-based Tara Publishing, and the fact that it had won the Bologna Ragazzi “New Horizons” Award (the first title from India to do so) before going to the Bologna Book Fair. The award spotlights the cultural heritage and innovative drive coming from children’s book publishing in the Arab world, Latin America, Asia and Africa, so I knew the book was bound to be a treat. But nothing could have prepared me for the jolt I experienced when I finally saw it.
When you flip through the book’s pages you understand why it has won a prestigious children’s book award even though it was originally created as an art book. The book rekindles one’s sense of wonder. Everything about it invites closer inspection: the wonderful ink smell; the texture of the handmade paper; the intricacy of the majestic trees inhabited by creatures; the myths and folktales accompanying them…
Tara Publishing’s website states that their books are “largely visual in nature – and radical, witty and informed in spirit.” The Night Life of Trees is, no doubt, one such book. Silk-screened and hand-bound, with its luminous trees jumping out of the pages’ black backdrop, this book offers a glimpse into the world views of three of the finest artists from the Gond tribe of Madhya Pradesh, in Central India, namely, Ram Singh Urveti, Durga Bai and Bhajju Shyam.
The idea for the book, we learned from a presentation given by Tara founder Gita Wolf and editor Sirish Rao on the first day of the book fair, came out of one of Tara’s illustrators’ workshops. Participants from the Gond tribe kept including trees on every single one of their drawings. “When asked to draw a bird, they would draw a bird on a tree; when asked to draw a person, they would draw a person next to a tree; when asked to draw clouds, they would draw clouds over a tree, and so on,” (more…)
STRANGERS
(a silent play with no words spoken whatsoever)
By Eleanor Tylbor
GUY1 walks across the stage and is approached by GUY2.
GUY1 waves at GUY2 but GUY2 doesn't wave back.
GUY1 waves at GUY2 again, smiling.
GUY2 ignores him and turns his head sideways.
GUY1 rushes over to him and taps him on the shoulder, forcing GUY2 to acknowledge his presence
GUY2 turns to face him, pushes him backwards and attempts to rush away
GUY1 blocks his departure with an extended arm and moves his face close to GUY2's face, and points to his face
GUY2 backs up and attempts to flee
GUY1 chases after him but GUY2 moves too quickly.
GUY 1 drops his head and shakes it slowly and his shoulders droop indicating dejection
A FEMALE APPROACHES.
GUY1 lifts his head and focuses his attention on her. He scans her body with his eyes, taking in her figure. He smoothes his hair, fixes his shirt collar and adjusts his pants. She is reading while walking and he makes a point of bumping into her.
FEMALE, startled, drops book and takes step backward.
GUY1 smiles and bends over to pick up book. He glances at title and points at her - then at himself.
FEMALE grabs book out of his hand and attempts to move on, obviously leery of GUY1.
GUY1 extends his arm and touches her shoulder. She whirls around and hits him squarely across his face. He reels backwards and places his hand on his face, shaking his head in bewilderment and shrugs his shoulders
FEMALE removes her purse that is hanging on her shoulder and hits him on his shoulders - then focuses her attention on the book and moves on
GUY1 drops down on to the floor, drops his head and it's obvious by his heaving shoulders that he is sobbing. He shakes his head in frustration while pounding the floor with his fists.
He suddenly jumps up after spotting a CLOWN, who is puffing away on a cigarette. GUY1 jumps up and down in excitement, runs towards clown in an attempt to communicate with him
(END OF SCENE 1)
SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITY: AN ONGOING DIALOGUE WITH SELF
BY Eleanor Tylbor
PLAYWRIGHT
Oh look! The Blankety-Blank Theatre is asking playwrights for plays. Hmmmm...interesting... Wonder if they're accepting plays from outside the U.S. Probably not...
INNER VOICE
There you go again! Negative. Always negative! Maybe they are!
PLAYWRIGHT
Yeah... Could be. Neh. I mean, this is a well-known and substantial theatre. They have enough playwrights domestically
INNER VOICE
So? What does that have to do with anything?
PLAYWRIGHT
Nothing but somehow I have a feeling they don't
INNER VOICE
You and your dumb feelings! How many opportunities did you let slide by based on your "feelings"?
PLAYWRIGHT
Let me read the guidelines, here... Hmmm and mmm - course I'm right. All the people and judges involved are from the U.S. Why would they waste time reading a play from an un-American? I suppose it would be a similar situation if it were reversed. You know - a Canadian theatre holding a playwriting competition? 'Course I wouldn't know having never won...anything, anywhere, anyway at any time. Oh to see my work actually up on a stage!
INNER VOICE
It doesn't say anything one way or the other. Why don't you query them and find out at least?
PLAYWRIGHT
Yeah... I could... I suppose... Maybe... I guess it would be a good idea. Let's see if they have an e-mail address... Hmm... Says here they have a lot of people reading all the entries. Well - that just about screws me. Wonder if they specialize in drama...or comedy...
INNER VOICE
So query and find out!
PLAYWRIGHT
Know what? It really scares me that lots of people will be reading my play. People who don't even know me or anything about the history of my play! How can they judge the merit of my intellect?
INNER VOICE
Nobody in Canada knows anything about it - or you either, doofus!
PLAYWRIGHT
True... It's just the idea of strangers reading my play and passing judgment on it. 'Oh look', they probably say to each other. 'This is laughable! She calls herself a playwright?' I bet they do that! Have a good laugh at our expense!
INNER VOICE
You're creating barriers again!
PLAYWRIGHT
Perhaps...Let me read some more about this theatre. Just as I thought! I could end up having a reading and not a production!
INNER VOICE
So what's wrong with that?
PLAYWRIGHT
What do I have to gain from a mere reading? I want a production! No - I need a production! I could just as easy get a group together and have a reading of my play. I don't have to spend who knows how much on postage and wonder whether anybody even read it.
INNER VOICE
So do it! Stop complaining for heaven's sake and do something. Your play will never see the light of day by sitting at a computer reading theatre submission guidelines.
PLAYWRIGHT
I'm sick and tired of submitting and daring to hope that maybe - just maybe - the play will be produced! All the while waiting and waiting for news. Checking the mail and the Internet for some response and all the while doubt creeping in and over-taking hope. What else do playwrights have to live for but hope?
INNER VOICE
You're telling me this? Me who shares your anxieties?
PLAYWRIGHT
What happens though if I can't find anyone who wants to read?
INNER VOICE
What happens if you do find people who want to read? If you don't take the first step, you'll never know. Go for it!
PLAYWRIGHT
Oh look here... this looks like just the theatre I've been looking for. I got a good feeling about this one.
I had heard of the book The Night Life of Trees, by Chennai-based Tara Publishing, and the fact that it had won the Bologna Ragazzi “New Horizons” Award (the first title from India to do so) before going to the Bologna Book Fair. The award spotlights the cultural heritage and innovative drive coming from children’s book publishing in the Arab world, Latin America, Asia and Africa, so I knew the book was bound to be a treat. But nothing could have prepared me for the jolt I experienced when I finally saw it.
What a stunning piece of art–thank you so much for posting this!
I can’t say enough about this book! Even my long, detailed post didn’t seem to do it justice. FYI- the book is expected to be available from Amazon (and hopefully from other independent booksellers as well) in 2-5 weeks.
Yes, I’ve just ordered it - the children’s bookshop in Bologna had sold out by the time I got there! As Aline said, it was very special to hear the presentation and see the original paintings in the exhibition. I can’t wait to feel and smell, let alone read, our copy when it arrives. It will definitely become a book belonging to the whole family!