@HachetteIndia
Indian arm of Hachette UK
O So Emo! - Author Gayatri on dealing with those big feelings.
Gayatri is not just an author, but a multifaceted personality with a rich background that spans vedic culture, spirituality and indian philosophy. She's also spent over 20 plus years in the indian media and is also a mental health columnist for Money Control. So it is a delight to have her join us today in this conversation. Hello, guy three, thank you so much for taking the time out to join us today
Gayatri Jayaraman
@G_y_tri · 3:58
We live in a world filled with abuse, domestic violence, terminal illness, poverty, all forms of oppression, which are difficult enough for adults to deal with. And then nobody has the bandwidth to look at the impact on children, and they suffer. They suffer silently, helplessly, and then they get blamed for not putting up a good enough performance at school, in sports, not being the perfect kid at home, et cetera, et cetera
Swell Team
@Swell · 0:15
Gayatri Jayaraman
@G_y_tri · 2:45
If they don't have the words, they can't ask for help. And they need you to sort their confusion for them. They need the adults in the room to know better and think better about what they are left feelings. An adult can't always be around to intervene, though we may try our best. So equip your child to go to the nearest responsible adult and say what they need
The boy monk Dorji and the Sunbird Sku from Tibet are pivotal characters in the book, and you've brought out their relationship so beautifully. And one thing that I wanted to ask you was this connection with Buddhism, Tibet, and the book's alignment with the Dalai Lama's vision of compassion, wisdom and courage. I think this comes out really well in the book and your writing. So if I may ask, how did buddhist values and philosophy inspire your writing?
Gayatri Jayaraman
@G_y_tri · 4:35
Thank you for noticing that I am a student of Arjana Buddhism. I've been studying my masters under the aegis of his Holiness the Dalai Lama at Tibet House, and I have two diplomas in applied buddhist psychology, ethics and philosophy
I'll leave you with one final question Gayatri, but let me take a minute to thank you for taking the time out and sharing your wealth of knowledge with us and for giving us this deep dive into what went into the writing of the book. So, yes, here comes the final question for you. How do you see young readers engaging with the stories in Oso emo? And are there specific lessons or messages you hope they'll carry along with them as they navigate their emotional landscapes?
Gayatri Jayaraman
@G_y_tri · 3:18
There are days when we're all tired, or we're bored, or we're sad, or our cupboards are a mess and we don't feel like participating. Whatever the state of mind you're in, I hope that you find resonance with someone through someone in the book. And by finding that resonance, you will find your solution. I think that when we're young, we imagine that it's just us. It's just me. I'm like this. Everyone else is fine