Sufiya Ahmed, initially from Surat, not too long ago launched the second in a four-book sequence commissioned by the publishers behind Blyton bestseller
Sufiya Ahmed, initially from Surat, not too long ago launched the second in a four-book sequence commissioned by the publishers behind Blyton bestseller
An India-born creator primarily based in London, who grew up studying Enid Blyton tales, has penned her personal set of adventures for the Famous Five characters created by the celebrated English kids’s author, extra reflective of contemporary British life.
Sufiya Ahmed, initially from Surat, not too long ago launched the second in a four-book sequence commissioned by the publishers behind Blyton bestsellers and has been buoyed by the enduring reputation of the characters.
While injecting some South Asian flavour into ‘Five and the Runaway Dog’, Ms. Ahmed feels her new adventures are an ode to the much-loved writings of the twentieth century kids’s creator.
“These new adventures of the Famous Five are more reflective of modern times,” stated Ms. Ahmed.
“There are more diverse characters in Kirrin village, which is the setting of the Famous Five books, and in the second story I’ve written, ‘Five and the Runaway Dog’, we have Simi – a girl of South Asian heritage – and her family who have moved into the village. Simi plays a major part in the story and is also featured on the front cover,” she stated.
The first e-book, ‘Timmy and the Treasure’, was launched in January and has been making waves not simply within the UK but additionally in Spain and Portugal.
The third e-book within the sequence, ‘Message in a Bottle’, is now present process the ending touches with illustrations and proofreading, and Ms. Ahmed is already engaged on e-book quantity 4. All 4 books ought to be out there by May 2023, together with in India.
“Enid Blyton is Hachette Children’s Group’s top-selling author in India, so it’s very exciting to be part of that. I’m hoping to be invited to the Indian book festivals with my Famous Five adventures,” stated Ms. Ahmed.
The creator feels that many adults, worldwide, really feel nostalgic about Blyton’s books and would wish to share them with the youngsters of their lives.
“I was so delighted when Hachette commissioned me to extend this series with inclusive adventures for the beloved characters Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Tim. It’s part of Hachette’s strategy to keep Enid Blyton’s books enjoyable, accessible and relevant for children all over the world,” shared Ms. Ahmed.
Asked about some criticism of Enid Blyton within the modern-day cancel tradition context over sure questionable references inside her books, Ms. Ahmed factors out that the editions now out there are very sensitively up to date whereas preserving the interval and unique setting.
“Whether it’s the Five, the Secret Seven or the girls at Malory Towers, these are beloved characters and I’m just making the setting for their adventures more reflective of the world that young readers live in, without changing the essence of their appeal,” she defined.
“The Five still love the countryside and the coast, go camping on their island, and are good-hearted children who help their friends and neighbours and of course are devoted to Timmy the dog,” she stated.
Earlier this 12 months, the youngsters’s creator launched ‘My Story: Princess Sophia Duleep Singh’, meant to enhance Britain’s college curriculum for 9 to 13-year-olds across the nation’s suffragette motion because it celebrates the royal’s tireless marketing campaign for girls’s proper to vote.
Bringing the story of the granddaughter of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and goddaughter of Queen Victoria to the fore has been inspiring for Ms. Ahmed, who desires to put in writing about extra various feminine function fashions comparable to Queen Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, Razia Sultan and Nur Jahan.
Source: www.thehindu.com
