A book for children penned by a city-based fiction writer Mona Verma that was recently released is drawing appreciation with the critics praising it as an attempt to bring back the lost era of storytelling with illusory and mystical undertones that a child’s innocence craves for.
Presiding over the book release as the chief guest, famous film and theatre actor of American descent Thomas Beach Alter said, “These are the stories which every child connects easily and instantly. The negative emotions, fear of poverty, step parents, egoism, sense of guilt which everyone has, are weaved in story with a great effort. I have found it simply a fantastic book. And this is why I am here to release it.” Tom Alter also rued how the quality of writing in English had gone down over the past few years.
Dwelling on her book, Mona Verma said, “The Clown of White Fields is a collection of seven short stories, set in various parts of the world. However, a common thread of mysticism unites them. They are stories about children and people from small places who have a secret each. The book is about the enchanted world they live in, how they are possessed by magic and the illusory world made of dreams.”
Asked why she had shifted to writing for children after writing three fictions, Mona said, “Even the protagonists in my earlier books were children. The book is not just for the children. Even the adults who have a child residing in each of them might enjoy reading it. The stories goad us to introspect into where we have gone wrong in our lives and improve.”
Recipient of the Uttarakhand Ratna, 2014, Mona Verma has so far penned four much- acclaimed fictions- ‘A Bridge to Nowhere’, ‘God is a River-a story of faith’, ‘The White Shadow’, and ‘The Clown of Whitefields’ and other stories.’ Her contribution towards English literature has won her several awards, including the ‘Woman of Substance’ Award from the All India Women’s Conference, Hindustan Times Woman Of The Year Award, Outstanding Alumnus of Delhi Public School Society and an award from National Union of Journalists.