Author Divya Mistry-Patel hopes to promote Gujarati language among children
Mari Rang Be Range Biladi is a comprehensive workbook designed to help parents build their child’s confidence
Divya Mistry-Patel
By Kamal RaoDec 24, 2024
THE first children’s book written in Gujarati by Divya Mistry-Patel, founder of Academic Achievements Limited, is now available on Amazon.
Divya, known as Dee, has a passion and respect for languages. She said, “Giving the gift of the mother tongue to children is our social responsibility. This is a global issue for most families around the world, as English has become the primary language in many households.
“Regardless of the mother tongue, families are facing the same dilemma within the south Asian community.”
She added, “Due to lack of exposure to the language, people may not always feel confident speaking in their mother tongue. Therefore, the younger generation no longer speak their mother tongue at home and once they themselves become parents, the language isn’t necessarily gifted to their children.’
Dee said her first Gujarati book, Mari Rang Be Range Biladi will help families connect to their mother tongue.
“It will help children to bond, not only with their parents but also their grandparents,” she said. Dee added, “Reading, as we all know, is very beneficial to children, and this book not only creates beautiful memories for the special bond between grandparents, parents and grandchildren, but also has many benefits to the child’s development.”
She said, “This book provides an opportunity for us as a society to make a difference to the next generation, we shouldn’t take our mother tongue for granted. It also pays homage to our forefathers who came to this country in search of a better life.
“We get so busy trying to give our children wings, may we not forget to give them roots too. What better gift can you give your child than the confidence to speak their mother tongue with their grandparents?”
Dee said she is working to bring Gujarati into the modern era by collaborating with leading education platforms.
Her book aims to create more awareness about the power of language for children and she plans to start a campaign with the hashtag ‘#GujjuBhol’.
Academic Achievements Limited has accrued over ten years of teaching experience from various schools across the country.
Dee also tutors for various entrance exam boards. She has experience in helping students with disabilities and guiding them towards progress.
Her previously published book, The How To Guide to Verbal Reasonings 11+ is available on Amazon.
It is a comprehensive workbook designed to help parents build their child’s confidence. This book provides a step-bystep guide that encourages children to work at their own pace.
Dee’s book is now available for purchase on Amazon.
AN ASIAN writer has explained how his new book makes Britain’s imperial past “accessible, engaging and thought-provoking” for a younger audience.
Award-winning author and journalist Sathnam Sanghera’s new book, Journeys of Empire, explores empire through 10 journeys he described as being “extraordinary”. Sanghera said his book, published last month by Puffin UK, is “a way of helping children understand how Britain’s biggest story still shapes the world today.”
“We’re not taught this history very well,” he told Eastern Eye.
“The empire is morally complex – sometimes we were good, sometimes bad – so, how do you even begin talking about it? It’s also contentious. There are millions of us whose families were colonised, and millions whose families were the colonisers.”
Teachers cannot teach what they themselves were never taught, Sanghera pointed out.
“There are multiple layers to why British people are so bad at talking about this history. It touches on race, misogyny and geopolitics. It’s easier just not to talk about it.”
And , the cover of his book
Following the success of his bestselling children’s title Stolen History, Sanghera’s this latest work continues Sanghera’s mission to write for readers aged nine and above. With a focus on human experiences, Sanghera said he wanted show that history is not just a list of dates or conquests – it’s a tapestry of stories that connect people.
Born in Wolverhampton to Punjabi immigrant parents, he began school unable to speak English. Later he graduated with first-class honours in English language and literature from Christ’s College, Cambridge.
He has since built a career as a writer and journalist.
His memoir, The Boy with the Topknot, and his novel, Marriage Material, were both shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards. Empireland, Sanghera’s exploration of Britain’s colonial legacy, was longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non- Fiction, named a Book of the Year at the 2022 National Book Awards, and inspired the Channel 4 documentary series Empire State of Mind.
His first children’s book, Stolen History, introduced young readers to the complex and often overlooked realities of empire. With Journeys of Empire, Sanghera aims to go further. “When I finally learned about the British empire, it changed how I saw myself, how I saw Britain, and how I saw India,” he said.
“It seemed obvious that you’d want to give this gift to young people – because your 40s is a bit late to be learning all this.”
Sanghera said the 10 journeys in the book take readers across continents and centuries, revealing both the ambition and the brutality of empire.
“The British empire covered a quarter of the world’s surface and a large portion of its population. It was seven times the size of the Roman empire,” he said.
Aiming to ensure diversity in both perspective and geography, Sanghera said he chose stories from various countries and different phases of the 400-year history.
Alongside India and Mahatma Gandhi, readers will learn about Guyana’s indentured labour system, Gertrude Bell’s adventures in Iraq, and the British invasion of Tibet led by Francis Younghusband.
“I wanted to highlight areas often left out of mainstream narratives,” the writer said. The stories are written with an accessible and honest tone, and with humour.
“Violence is a tricky area,” Sanghera said. “You can’t go into graphic detail, but you also shouldn’t whitewash it. The violence and racism of colonialism were intrinsic. “I tried to strike a balance - acknowledging the brutality without overwhelming young readers.”
Writing for children isn’t much different from writing for adults, Sanghera said.
“You still need engaging stories and to hold attention. The main thing is to avoid big words that might put them off.”
He pointed out how storytelling can counter the allure of digital screens.
“Kids are addicted to screens, and reading rates are falling globally. That’s disastrous for mental health, intellectual development, and politics,” he said.
“When you get news from screens, you’re in an echo chamber – you’re not being challenged or taught to think in a nuanced way.”
Sanghera’s hope is that stories of Journeys of Empire – from pirates to princes and explorers to rebels – will draw in young readers to a world of curiosity and reflection. He said, “The British empire is a complex story. Even the ‘good guys’ had flaws. That’s what makes it worth understanding.”
At the heart of his book is a message about complexity and contradiction. “The empire involved slavery and the abolition of slavery. It caused environmental destruction and inspired environmentalism. We live in a world that struggles with nuance, but that’s what makes us human,” Sanghera said.
“My hope is that readers – kids and adults – learn that opposite things can be true at the same time.”
After six years of writing about empire, Sanghera said he’s ready for a change. His next book will focus on the late pop star George Michael, due out in June next year.
“I thought George Michael would be a nice break from empire. But then I learned that his father came from Cyprus - which was under British rule. The reason he left Cyprus was because of the British. So, even George Michael’s story connects back to empire. You can’t escape it, wherever you go.”
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