#TG Life
Goan author Mario Coelho is the only author from Goa whose story has been published in publishing giant Harper Collins’ latest “Flipped Anthology” for children. The Anthology which was released recently and features authors from across India is “Flipped”, meaning it has two covers and two genres of stories and can be opened from either side.
On one side is Ghost Stories and on the other, Adventure Stories. Coelho’s tale called The Legend of Captain Barbosa has been featured amongst the Ghost Stories, alongside other authors like Ranjit Lal, Lavanya Karthik and Tanu Shree Singh. This is Harper Collins’ second Flipped Anthology with the first featuring Funny Stories and Scary Stories.
Said Coelho in conversation with The Goan, “I waited a very long time to get published by a renowned publishing firm, so it feels great.” What felt even greater was the fact that it was the publishing firm that gave Coelho a call and asked him if he would like to write for their Flipped Anthology.
The prose story is woven around twelve verses which came to the author first. Coelho has been writing stories in verse for children and adolescents for several years. “ He hails from Ponda, and has been attempting to revive the stories in verse form, which he feels is appropriate for readers of any age group. However, he says that as most people equate verses with poetry, even though it’s different, he has had to change his writing to now weave prose stories around verses, for the stories to gain more acceptance.
Speaking more about the Flipped Anthology, Coelho says that it’s a fun book, which would enthral children. “The two covers is an added incentive to them,” he opined. Coelho also feels that Indian writers have come along way in children’s literature, and there have been some outstanding works of late (like Dungeon Tales by Venita Coelho), on par and sometimes better than writers from the West.
Harper Collins’ Flipped Anthology (illustrated by Shamika Chaves) is available on online shopping platforms like Amazon at a special discount, and at the Central Library, Patto.
