Media Release
London, Apr 14: Author Renita D'Silva, who was born and brought up in Udupi and now lives in the UK, was in India recently doing book signings and participating in book discussions about her book 'The Forgotten Daughter', which has just been released by Fingerprint Publishing in India.
On March 31, Renita was invited to the residence of the foreign secretary of India to talk about her books at the EASA book club, which constitutes of spouses of external affairs ministry members and ambassadors to India. Kyoko Jaishankar, wife of the foreign secretary of India hosted the function, with Poonam Surie, acclaimed author and wife of the former ambassador to the UK, introducing Renita to the assembled crowd. Renita talked about her books and her writing at this select gathering which included the foreign secretary's wife, his mother, the previous foreign secretary's wife, wives of members of the foreign ministry and wives of several ambassadors to India.
She conducted book signings at Relay bookstores in Bengaluru and Delhi airport and also in bookstores across Bengaluru and Delhi, including Sapna bookstores in Gandhinagar, Residency, Koramangala and Jayanagar; Crossword, Blossom, Gangarams, Axis and OM in Bengaluru; Amrit Book Co, Jain Book Depot and Jain Book agency in Connaught Place, Bahri Sons and Full Circle book stores in Khan Market, and Bahri Sons and Om Book Shop in Saket, Delhi.
"It was wonderful visiting, as a published author, the book stores I had browsed back when writing was just a dream tucked away in a secret, wishful corner of my heart," Renita said of her book signings.
On April 1, Renita discussed her book, 'The Forgotten Daughter', at the Vasant Vihar Club, New Delhi.
All in all, Renita said that it was a humbling and rewarding experience.
Book signings at Bengaluru and Delhi
At Vasant Vihar Club, New Delhi
More about Renita:
Renita D'Silva's short stories have appeared in 'The View from Here', 'Bartleby Snopes', 'this' zine, 'Platinum Page', 'Paragraph Planet' and various anthologies of prizewinning short stories in competitions run by Kingston University, London, in association with the Kingston Readers' Festival. Her story on the theme of 'Journeys' was published in a book of winning entries in an international writing competition run by Sampad, an Arts council funded organisation supporting South East Asian Arts in Birmingham. 'Colour' was the Editor's choice in the Bartleby Snopes half yearly anthology and was nominated for the Pushcart 2011 prize. 'Diet' was nominated for the 2011 'Best of the Net' anthology. Her debut novel, 'Monsoon Memories' was selected as 'Notable for potential - Entry that showed a writer's all-round flair, talent, ideas and feel for storytelling'in the UK Authors Opening Pages' competition 2010.
Born and brought up in Kallianpur, Udupi, Renita moved to the UK in the year 2000 after her marriage. An avid reader since childhood, her love for books was kindled by her father who supplied her with a plethora of storybooks, which ultimately led her to write stories of her own.
She is the author of 'Monsoon Memories', 'The Forgotten Daughter', 'The Stolen Girl' and 'A Sister's Promise', all of which have topped the Literary Fiction Charts in the UK, US and Canada, with 'A Sister's Promise' reaching the top 10 overall in Canada and Number 2 in Australia and 'The Forgotten Daughter' reaching the top 50 in the US and the UK.
'The Forgotten Daughter': A Synopsis
'You were adopted'.
Three simple words, in a letter accompanying her parent's will, tear Nisha's carefully ordered world apart. Raised in England, by her caring but emotionally reserved parents, Nisha has never been one to take risks.
Now, with the scrawled address of an Indian convent begins a search for the mother and family she never knew and the awakening of childhood memories long forgotten.
The secrets, culture and people that Nisha discover will change her life forever. And, as her eyes are opened to a side of herself she didn't know existed, Nisha realizes that she must also seek answers to the hardest question of all – why?
Weaving together the stories of Nisha, Shilpa and Devi, The Forgotten Daughter explores powerfully and poignantly the emotional themes of motherhood, loss and identity – ultimately asking the question of what you would do out of love for your children?
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