Crossword announces second season of 'I Want To Be An Author'

Students from grade 5 to 10 from Mumbai and Bengaluru Schools can submit their stories to become published authors

The I Want To Be An Author campaign Season 2 by Crossword Bookstores & The Write Place- the publishing arm of Crossword Bookstores was officially launched at Ryan International School, ICSE (Malad) in Mumbai today.
The first Season of I Want To Be An Author took place in November 2017. School children from Mumbai participated wholeheartedly; as over 10,000 submissions came in from students within six months.

Out of these, 39 of the best-written stories were shortlisted and compiled into a book aptly titled 'Young Storytellers', by The Write Place. The book was launched with much fanfare, by Crossword Book Award-winning children author Roopa Pai, publisher Preeti Vyas and Head of The Write Place, Anup Jerajani, in July 2018.

Keeping the impetus going, four esteemed panelists: teen author of two novels - Vinayak Mittal ; Head of The Write Place - Anup Jerajani; author of his tenth bestselling book How to Write a Book and Make it a Bestseller - Dr Radhakrishnan Pillai and CEO of Ryan International School - Mr Ryan Pinto came together to speak about their writings & share their journeys.

“We have anthologised the Young Storytellers’ book to provide a platform for the young and budding authors to find a voice. I am very excited, as a publisher, that we are now curating children at this stage to become writers. Everyone’s got a story to tell and that is why I encourage all the students to take part in this competition, with only 800- 1200 words for a short story, we are inviting them to be a part of this dynamic movement for writers,” says Anup Jerajani.

275 students sat enraptured, listening to Dr Radhakrishnan Pillai, an excellent storyteller not only while writing but also in person.

Dr Pillai encouraged the budding authors, giving them tips to make their way into the writing world, “Imagination and writing go hand in hand. Jotting down ideas on a daily basis, take inputs from other experts but more importantly enjoying the process. Participating in competitions will give you the confidence to fearlessly tell your story to the world.”

Connecting with the students present, Vinayak Mittal, already a published author of Crossroads and Crosstimes by age 15, spoke about how he balanced his education and his passion for writing.

“If you really love what you do, you will take out time for it anyways and wholeheartedly invest in it. I have enjoyed every bit in the process of writing and getting my two adventure fantasy novels published. "It was thrilling to see students from grades 8 through 10 ask such intriguing questions from having a writer’s block to dealing with criticism and determining the genre of writing.", says Vinayak Mittal author of Crossroads and Crosstimes.

The event concluded by Ryan Pinto addressing the students and urging them to take part in the competition which is now open for submissions.

“Words are powerful. Your intellect alone can be communicated through your writing. I encourage students to take part in the “I Want To Be An Author” competition. It is an opportunity for you to let your words make an impact on the world,” says Ryan Pinto.

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