Interview with writer Rachna Gilmore
by Marjorie Coughlan*

Rachna Gilmore wore many hats before, 'ignoring the negative little critic whispering in my ear', she took the plunge into writing - and since then she has 'never looked back': except that her varied life and experiences of moving continents not once but twice have lent their color and vibrancy to her writing. She has won many awards, including the Canadian Governor General's Literary Award for A Screaming Kind of Day; and her most recent book, a fantasy novel, The Sower of Tales, has been nominated for the 2006 Red Maple Award. Rachna's work has been translated into several languages and she has given presentations in schools, libraries and conferences across Canada and internationally. She currently lives in Ottawa where she continues to'plark (play, work, lark)' at her writing.

You have said elsewhere that you were very influenced in your decision to take up writing by the characters Jo in Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. How have your background and experiences influenced what you choose to write about? Are there any other books from your childhood which have contributed to your writer's voice? Was it through reading the Anne books that you decided to move from Britain to Canada?

Yes, I was influenced by Jo in Little Women and by Anne of Green Gables. They were my absolute favourite books and I read and re-read them many, many times. They were friends, those books, treasured and loved and visited over and over again. Anne was only partly responsible for my moving to Canada. I decided to go there because it seemed to me to be more diverse and open, and to offer more possibilities than the England I was then living in. But Anne was solely responsible for my deciding to go to Prince Edward Island first when I went to Canada.

As far as my writing goes, I write about what intrigues me and what I want to explore, and of course my background and experiences impact on that. I'm so lucky to have a rich and diverse background. My life in India and then moving to England and then coming to Canada as an immigrant - the process of moving across continents - enables me to explore issues of identity and the bittersweet process of leaving familiar places and then establishing a new home, with all its inherent pains and joys. The Gita books are not in any way autobiographical because I was older than Gita when I first came to England and I didn't really feel what she did, but the flavour of A Group of One is in many ways inspired by my experiences as well as those of my children, even though none of the events themselves actually occurred and the book isn't autobiographical either.

I think every book one reads influences one's writer's voice. As a child, I read the Anne books, the books by L. M. Alcott and also Enid Blyton, the Biggles books by Captain W. E. Johns and the William books by Richmal Compton. I absolutely adored and revered Jane Austen too, and continue to do so. Each time I re-read any of her books, I marvel at her insight; her ability to create complex characters with all their idiosyncrasies; her understanding of their psychology and her compassion for them; and, of course, her wonderful wit and humour.

While the Enid Blyton books can easily be dismissed as having laughable characterization and ridiculous plots, not to mention xenophobic and sexist attitudes, I think they informed my sense of how to pace stories and helped me develop an instinctive sense of the shape of stories, of how to create a satisfying arc.

As I grow older, my curiosity about the world and my ability to consider alternate possibilities and realities, my questioning of the status quo, has triggered a huge interest in writing fantasy. Perhaps, too, I'm writing fantasy now because my children are older and therefore the contemporary concerns of school age children, along with their language, isn't ever present in my life.

Why did you decide to focus on writing children's books? You have published one book of adult fiction, Of Customs and Excise (under the name Rachna Mara): was this a very different writing experience? Do you plan to write more for adults?

I think I began to write for children mostly because I had young children at the time and so the rhythms and cadences of children's stories permeated my being, especially as I read copiously to my kids. As well, the comedy-drama of everyday life with children was an ever-present and rich source of material.

I wrote Of Customs and Excise as a form of exploration because I was curious about expanding my skills as a writer and developing my voice and also because I was intrigued by a small incident told to me by my mother, which became the basis of one of those stories, and which I then felt compelled to expand upon and explore. It was a very different experience writing for adults - in many ways very freeing. After I finished that book, I knew I wanted to continue to write for adults as well, but decided that I should write some more children's stories first. I found the switch back very difficult and I'm not entirely sure why, but I think it has something to do with the need for children's writing to come from a different place inside you, from the child inside you. Once I switched over, I found it easy to keep the flow of children's stories and at the moment I have so many ideas I still want to write about that I haven't as yet gone back to writing for adults. But I will. I will. A story is winding its way through me and sooner or later it will demand to be written.

You have written three books about Gita, a girl who moves from India to America. Is she based on anyone in particular? In the first, Lights for Gita, the difficulties Gita has settling in to her new country are pinpointed by the upset of not being able to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu winter Festival of Light, in the way she would have done in India. Was this something you too experienced when you left India for Britain as a teenager?

As I mentioned earlier, I didn't actually experience what Gita did because I was much older when I came to England - fourteen - and into being a cool teenager. In the immediacy of a teenager's life I didn't really give much thought to my past life in India, being more concerned with fitting in and making new friends. It was only years later, after I'd written Of Customs and Excise, which has stories set in India, that the wells of memory were stirred enough to burp up ideas and experiences from my childhood. Divali was one of the most magical and happy memories I have of India and so I decided I'd write about that. Gita is an entirely fictional character born of the idea for this story.

Did you plan that there would be three books in this series or was it something that evolved over time? Are there any more Gita stories in the offing?

The subsequent Gita books came about because I was curious about her and wanted to know what might happen next, and also partly because the character Mr. Flinch (in Roses for Gita) who was initially in the first book and then edited out, insisted on hanging around and wanting to be put into another Gita story - but it wasn't planned from the start. I don't know if there are any more Gita stories in the offing. I have a suspicion that there might be: but if so, they'll be novels, I think, not picture books.

In Mina's Spring of Colors much of the plot revolves around the celebration of Holi, the Spring Festival of Color. Without Mina and her family, it would be unlikely for the other characters to have the opportunity to experience Holi first-hand and share in the fun. What are your memories of Holi? Do you know of any of your readers who have taken up the theme and put on a Holi party for themselves?

I have wonderful memories of Holi - memories of the physical excitement and dread and anticipation of getting others with coloured powders and water and also trying to dodge them in return, the shrieking, hysterical laughter and the wild delight. I don't know of any readers who have put on a Holi party for themselves, but oh, I do hope some have. Kids love the idea and I know it would be an absolute blast. In one of the libraries I have visited to do a reading, the librarian was very keen on the idea, but of course, we couldn't use coloured water and powder, so instead, we sprinkled each other with sparklies and squirted those cans that spurt multicoloured streamers. It was great fun. I keep meaning to have a Holi party myself, but alas, I haven't as yet. One of these days...

In Group of One you explore the role of history and heritage in bridging generations as well as the labelling of national/ethnic identity. Did this come out of your own family experience? Have there been moments when you have had to stand up and say, "I am ..."?

This book was first triggered by a curiosity to explore what might happen if a very Indian grandmother interacted with her culturally mainstream Canadian grandchildren. At first I thought the book would be funny and light, but over time, as the story developed and the characters took hold, it led to an exploration of Canadian identity. In many ways this book, more than any of my other books, witnesses some of the present, evolving concepts of Canadian identity and explores what it is to be Canadian.

Yes, I have indeed had to stand up and say, "I am Canadian." An unhyphenated one, while still acknowledging my cultural heritage and taking pride in my Indian roots. And moreover, my children, too, have had to explain themselves at times, even though they were born in Canada and their father is a Canadian of Scottish heritage. In many ways, I think this book speaks to our evolving sense of who we are as Canadians, and of course, more particularly to the search for identity experienced by children of immigrants - something that is often complicated by the expectations of others. For instance, I am at times perceived to be not "exotic" enough. I've actually had a white Canadian, someone very kind and well-meaning, say to me, "You're neglecting your own culture." The layers of expectation in that statement are diverse and really quite subtle. It speaks to the need for people to be accepted as individuals - for an understanding that not all immigrants fit into a prescribed box with the same needs; that not all immigrants integrate the culture of their heritage in the same ways; and, of course, that not all people from the same country of origin even share the same culture. Essentially, there are diverse ways in which immigrants adjust and incorporate their cultural heritages into their identities, and all these ways need to be respected. Tara's experience - that she's too brown for some, and yet not Indian enough for others, including white Canadians and Canadians of Indian heritage as well as Indians - is a reality for many immigrants and children of immigrants. Tara thinks at one point that she's "always too something. Never just right." This attitude arises out of our need to label and define, rather than just accept people as individuals.

I think this book, more than any of my others, bears witness to what is happening in Canada today. These concerns and situations, though, are inevitable in a swiftly evolving society and world, and they're part of the learning process for all of us, whether we are new immigrants or second, third or more generation Canadians.

You write books which come under many genre categories; your latest book, The Sower of Tales is a fantasy novel. Can you tell us a bit about it and how it came to be written?

I love reading fantasy and I love Science Fiction too. I love them because of the ideas they enable me to explore and the possibilities they create as a writer. This book is dear to my heart (being the most recent and therefore still working its way out of my flesh and bones). It's about a stubborn and awkward young girl, Calantha, who lives in a world where story pods grow freely. Their seeds are scattered by the Sower of Tales and when they settle on the Plains where Calantha lives, they take root, and in fourteen days - half a moon - grow to fully ripened story pods. Story pods, if harvested carefully and opened correctly, unfurl to release milky white seeds which circle the heads of the listeners, who then hear the tale within the story pod.

Calantha loves the story pods and wants to be a Gatherer of Pods - the person who selects the story pod for the nightly Talemeet, where villagers gather to hear the tale - only her mother isn't too keen on the idea, having much more exalted notions of a fitting occupation for her daughter. As the story starts, her mother and all the villagers are worried about a northern King's intrusions into the Plains. The King's Sorcerer, too, is feared by many and there is unrest in the air. And then, one day, in the middle of Calantha's personal struggle with her mother; in the middle of the turmoil about the King's intentions, the seeds of the story pods stop coming to the Plains. In the confusion that follows, it is Calantha who must find out why. She undertakes a dangerous journey to find the Sower of Tales - while someone unknown attempts to stop her...

I first got the idea for this book because I procrastinate. Yes, procrastinate. I was sitting at my computer and avoiding getting on with whatever I was then working on, and I got up to go to the washer and dryer in the basement, to change the wash about, somewhat miserably aware that I was just putting things off. And I thought to myself, "I'm going to reap what I sow."

And suddenly, I had an image in my head of an old woman bending over to sow seeds, and I knew, I just knew that she was sowing the seeds to tales. A chill went through me. I was fascinated by her and I knew I had to find out more, that I had to, had to write about her. It was one of the most challenging books I've written because I had to figure out what the book was about. I had to find out what the seeds of the story pods meant and why they'd disappeared; I had to create and develop the characters and, of course, to find out who the Sower of Tales was. The characters fascinated me. I love Calantha - she's awkward, stubborn, dusty and bumbling, and aggravating; she is dreamy and forgetful: except, of course, when it comes to her single-minded passion for the tales.

What projects are you working on now?

At the moment, I seem to be travelling around a lot, doing presentations and attending conferences around Canada and in other countries too. I'm tying up loose ends in three picture book stories that are due to come out next year and the year after, and I have to admit, I am happily and delightedly indulging in developing the ideas for my next novel. It's still at the stage where all things are possible and where I squirrel with delight at the ideas springing to mind, the discoveries I'm making - but I can't really talk about it because if I do, I will lose interest in writing it. So all I can say is that it's another fantasy novel. I hope that if I develop it sufficiently in my head, it will arrive and spring forth in perfection, but I know it won't because it never does. Writing a novel is always full of surprises and unexpected twists and turns so I know it will take much longer than I think, and probably change in many ways before I reach the end. All of which is part of the exploration and joy of writing stories.

You are very articulate in your views that your books should not be categorised under'ethnic' or'minority' literature, but that you write books about universal issues, some of which happen to focus on characters and traditions particular to Indian heritage. Do you recognize that your books on these themes have a role to play in helping children who may be going through similar experiences?

Absolutely I recognize that my books have an important role to play in helping children with similar experiences. I think it's really important for all children to see themselves reflected in the literature around them because it validates their experiences and helps them to explore and understand themselves, and most of all, helps them belong and to feel that they are not alone. Thank you for seeing that my books have universal themes - I think this is really important because I think that we all need to read stories of other specific cultures, and yet to recognize the universal themes therein, to relate to the universal themes. We need to get past feeling that stories are "yours" or "mine" but understand that all stories are "ours" - because under superficial differences, really, we are alike in our emotional needs and our need to be happy. When we crawl inside each others' skins in stories, feel what others feel, become them, and when we see all stories as "ours", we finally get to move past superficial differences and to really relate to all people in a meaningful and true way. This is, I know, very idealistic, but I truly believe that stories are a crucial way to bring people together.

One of the finest compliments I have received was from a reader who read A Group of One and said how deeply it spoke to her experience - she was a Francophone Canadian who had gone to an English-speaking school and she related absolutely to Tara's sense of never being "just right" because to her Francophone friends she was the kid who was English, and at the English school, she was the French kid. I was so touched and honoured that Tara's particular experience had resonated with the reader's own particular experience. Making links. Bridging.

Would you also agree that by highlighting such books as yours as part of a child's reading experience, those who influence such choices are taking steps that the younger generation will in fact accept a multi-cultural theme as'mainstream'?

Yes, absolutely. But more than that, by highlighting such books, we are helping to recognise the universal connections we share and to move past even terms such as "multi-cultural" and "mainstream." It helps us widen our sense of who we are as Canadians and then of course, by extension, as part of the human family, as members of this planet. Books like these help us accept that wherever we live, we come from a diverse and wonderful human family - something that should be celebrated rather than feared, and that what we have in common far supersedes our differences.

What do you think is the general perception of 'multicultural' books in Canada, within the realm of books for children and young people? Are there writers emerging whose work you would recommend our readers look out for?

It's really difficult to generalize, because of course, many readers see the more universal themes of books rather than the label. Also, I really hope that kids read my books and enjoy them. The theme of the book is only one aspect of it. A Group of One is a really funny book with lively, contemporary characters, but that's something that isn't apparent when one just speaks of its theme. I guess too often books that are perceived as "multicultural" are selected for their themes rather than just because they're good, well-written stories with interesting characters. Mina's Spring of Colors was nominated for the Silver Birch Award in Ontario, and it generated a lot of fan mail. I was delighted that so many kids who had no Indian cultural background related to the schoolroom rivalries between the characters and the classroom power struggles that kids experience. They saw the larger concerns of hurt, anger, jealousy and revenge and related to that, and I was so pleased to receive letters that showed that the kids had emotionally connected with the characters, become the characters, and thought about the characters' actions in terms of what they might have done in such situations.

As for writers who explore some of the themes that I've explored, I can unhesitatingly recommend Paul Yee, who is very much an established writer. He writes of the Chinese experience and his writing is just beautiful. Janie Jaehyun Park writes and illustrates tales from traditional Korean folklore. Her work is exquisite. And Ting-Xing Ye has written many moving books about the Chinese experience, including about the search for identity. As well, Rukhsana Khan writes of the Pakistani/Muslim experience and Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch writes movingly of the Ukranian experience. These are just a few among Canadian writers, and of course there are many more equally accomplished ones; and, as well, there are many in the US and the UK who write for children on similar themes.

You have just returned from the International Children's Book Week in Stockholm, Sweden. Can you tell us a bit about it?

It was a wonderful experience. I was there as a guest of the International Library in Stockholm, which is a branch of the Stockholm Public Library. There were four authors - myself and one each from China, Turkey and Thailand. The International library houses 129 languages and has over 220,000 titles. They are strongly committed to being able to provide literature in native languages to the many new immigrants coming to Sweden from around the world, because they recognize that if children are encouraged to become literate and engage with story in their native tongues, it facilitates their literacy and skill with Swedish, and encourages them to become readers in Swedish as well. I spent the week visiting with and making presentations to teachers, librarians, and educators, as well as many, many children. In a way, I had it easy because everyone in Sweden seems to speak English. But many of my books, particularly those dealing with immigrants' evolving sense of identity, were a perfect fit for what is happening in Sweden today and so my books received a great deal of interest.

My trip was wonderful because the Swedish people are so hospitable and generous. Stockholm is a beautiful, beautiful city and I look forward to going there again - but in the summer! One of the highlights was visiting Junibacken, funded by an Astrid Lindgren (of Pippi Longstocking fame) trust fund. It is a museum that features scenes from well known Swedish writers' work as well as many of Astrid Lindgren's own works. It is truly magical. The care to detail in the vignettes; the immediacy and ability to interact with the scenes; the magical delight of small doors through which only small children can enter: the charm of all the details cannot, just cannot be captured in words. There is also a train that slowly takes riders through scenes of Astrid Lindgren's books. It is the most magical place I have ever seen for children and for anyone who relishes stories - the kind of place that stimulates the imagination, sparks ideas and elicits delight and wonder - and most of all, a place that entices and encourages children to seek out books and to read and read and read.

*Marjorie Coughlan is a member of the PaperTigers editorial team, and is based in the UK.

Posted January 2006

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