I am thrilled to welcome Srividhya Venkat to The Backstory today. Srividhya and I first talked back in August of 2023 about her book, Girls on Wheels. You can check out that conversation here. Today Srividhya is back to discuss her latest picture book, SEEKER OF TRUTH: KAILASH SATYARTHI'S FIGHT TO END CHILD LABOR. Keep reading to learn all about how this story came to be and for your chance to win an AMA Zoom call with Srividhya.
AH: Welcome to The Backstory and thank you for joining us and sharing the inspiration
behind SEEKER OF TRUTH: KAILASH SATYARTHI'S FIGHT TO END CHILD LABOR.
First off, please tell us a little bit about your story.
SV: SEEKER OF TRUTH is a picture book biography about Kailash Satyarthi, a child rights
activist from India, whose activism journey began when he was five years old. As he
grew, so did his compassion and courage to speak out for the rights of those in need, in
the process crossing boundaries which irked society’s gatekeepers. It was when he
became an adult that he freed himself from social norms, changed his surname which
reflected his privileged status, and followed the path he wanted to bring change.
This book is an inspiring story of one man’s curiosity, compassion, and courage that has
led him to save the lives of thousands of children.
AH: What a powerful and inspiring story!
AH: What’s the story behind the story? What was your inspiration? Where did the idea
come from?
SV: When I first learned about Kailash Satyarthi four years ago, I was surprised that I hadn’t known about him sooner, given the magnanimity of his work as a child rights activist and social reformer, and given that he was the co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize alongside Malala Yousufzai.
Hearing about his work to end child labor brought back memories from my own
childhood in India where I had seen children working in households and chai shops.
Unlike Kailash, I did not question what I saw at that time. The more I learned about
Kailash, the more heartrending stories I came upon – of children being moved far away
from their homes and forced to work in unsafe places like factories, quarries and mines, of children enduring abuse and hardships as they worked to pay off their family’s debts. Kailash has rescued thousands of these children and helped them go to school and assume leadership roles in their communities. He has also been instrumental in raising global awareness about child labor while advocating international laws against child slavery.
In short, Kailash has made a huge impact by helping change the lives of the rescued
children through education and empowerment. I knew that his story must be told!
AH: Thank you for telling Kailash's story and providing the opportunity for others to learn about his amazing work through your book.
AH: How did you approach going from this seed of an idea to what is now SEEKER OF
TRUTH? Was it something undeniable you had to write immediately or did you
need to sit with this idea and let it grow for a while before it found its way to the
page?
SV: This being a picture book biography of a real person, I had to do plenty of research on Kailash Satyarthi’s life and work such as reading articles and interviews, watching videos and a documentary film.
Yes, it WAS something undeniable that I had to write immediately given the magnanimity of his work as a child rights activist, the impact he’s made in raising global awareness about child labor, calling out to globalize compassion and making education a universal human right, and advocating international laws against child slavery.
AH: Did SEEKER OF TRUTH undergo any major changes/revisions from the original
version? If so, what led you to make these changes?
SV: There were no major changes in the manuscript. A section of what was in the back
matter was moved into the manuscript as suggested by the editor.
AH: Are there any books/authors that you feel influenced your work on SEEKER OF
TRUTH?
SV: I gathered inspiration from picture book biography writers, such as Nancy Churnin and Vivian Kirkfield, and several other writers whose works I studied for elements like hook, structure, lyricism, and back matter.
A few of my mentor texts for Seeker of Truth were: ‘The Traveling Camera: Lewis Hine
and the Fight to End Child Labor’ (by Alexandra S.D. Hinrichs and Michael Garland),
‘For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai's Story’ (by Rebecca Langston-George and
Janna Bock), and ‘The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall’s Life, Leadership, and
Legacy’ (by Kekla Magoon and Laura Freeman).
Finally, I cannot fail to mention ‘The Story of How I Met Kailash Satyarthi’ written by
seven-year-old Rosie Katz who truly bolstered my urge to write Seeker of Truth and
shed all self-doubt on writing about such a tough topic.
AH: What wonderful authors to learn from. I especially love the story behind Rosie Katz' biography and I can see how inspiring her work would be.
Where do you tend to find your inspiration or your sparks for ideas?
SV: I am inspired by reading, webinars, and podcasts. Sometimes, I take a break from writing-related activities and go for nature walks, watch a movie, or hang out with friends. I find that it’s essential to have a balance in order to stay inspired.
AH: I 100% agree with the need to find a balance. As creators, it is easy to feel like we need to be constantly producing new work, but sometimes that time away is exactly what we need to find our next great idea.
Do you have any upcoming projects or news you would like to share with us?
SV: I do not have any future books to mention at this time. However, I am working on a
couple of picture book manuscripts to get them submission ready. I am also exploring
diversifying my writing and exploring new initiatives.
AH: Best of luck with your WIPs and future projects! We look forward to reading more from you.
Where can people connect more with you?
People can find me in the following places…
Website: https://www.srividhyavenkat.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VenkatSrividhya
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/srividhyavenkat/
AH: Readers be sure to connect with Srividhya on her socials and check out her website where you can learn about all of her books and her author visit offerings.
Also, please consider supporting Srividhya and SEEKER OF TRUTH in any way you can.
This could include:
- ordering from your favorite indie
- marking as want to read on Goodreads
-leaving a review
- making a library request
Srividhya, thank you so much for sharing all about SEEKER OF TRUTH. I loved
learning the inside scoop on how this book came to be!
GIVEAWAY!
Srividhya is generously offering one winner a 30-minute Zoom Ask-Me-Anything.
Ways to enter:
1. Retweet my tweet about this blog post. Additional entry for tagging friends!
or
2. Leave a comment on this post.
or
3. Post about this interview on social media and tell me in the comments that you did.
Each method earns an extra entry!
ABOUT SRIVIDHYA VENKAT
Srividhya Venkat enjoys writing stories that reflect nuances of her love for her roots in India. She has written several picture books, including GIRLS ON WHEELS (2024 RISE: A Feminist Book Project List), DANCING IN THATHA'S FOOTSTEPS (2022 South Asia Book Award), and THE CLEVER TAILOR (Evanston Public Library’s 101 Great Books for Kids in 2019). SEEKER OF TRUTH is her first non-fiction book. You can learn more about her at srividhyavenkat.com.
ABOUT ANDREW HACKET
Andrew Hacket is a writer, second-grade teacher, and father of three. He is also the author of the upcoming Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea, Curlilocks and the Three Hares, and Hope and the Sea. Andrew recognizes that being a kid is hard and he writes to create ways for kids to see themselves in stories and characters, to accept and overcome their insecurities, or to escape for just a little while through the power of their imaginations.
Thank you, Srividhya, for stopping by and sharing your story as well as your process. I love it when authors can tackle tough topics and share them with children. Children are capable of making a difference if we give them the chance, and your story shows that!