Multipolis Mumbai - The City Through a Child’s Eye

Lubaina Bandukwala is a Children’s Writer, Editor and Curator of Children’s Literature Festivals. Former journalist Lubaina turned into a children’s writer (books published by Pratham, FunokPlease) and editor (Time Life, TOI, DNA, Scholastic India, Harper Collins, Dainik Bhaskar Group) for a simple reason. Now she can read as many children’s books as she likes and call it grown-up work! And because guilty pleasures must be shared, she has also curated children’s literature sessions at the prestigious Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in Mumbai and has founded her own Children’s Literature Festivals - Peek A Book and Fully Booked (with First Mum’s Club and Kids Club). This so that children and parents can explore the fabulous world of children’s books, especially those produced by Indian publishers – and discover the joys of reading.

Shabnam Minwalla is a mother of three. In the little off-time that this brain-scrambling job permits, she writes food articles, columns and book reviews for magazines and newspapers. Shabnam used to be a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India. She has also written a book on her alma mater, St Xavier's College in Mumbai. She has written four books for children -- `The Six Spellmakers of Dorabji Street', `The Strange Haunting of Model High School’, `The Shy Supergirl’ and `Lucky Girl’. Her books are being used as readers by numerous schools and are very popular. Her fifth book – a fat fantasy set in Mumbai called `What Maya Saw’ – is to be published by the end of 2017. Shabnam has conducted workshops and session in schools and festivals around the country. These include Bookaroo in Delhi, the Kala Ghoda Festival, the Tata Literature Live! Festival and the NCPA Summer Fiesta in Mumbai.

"Preeti Vyas is the founder of FunOKPlease, a publishing company that creates contemporary Indian content for children. Its portfolio includes popular titles such as ‘Toto the Auto’, ‘Your Turn Now’; and ‘ 366 words in Mumbai’; They also co-publish books with publishers such as Penguin Random House, Scholastic and Harper Collins. In 2017, they were awarded the ‘Best Children’s Publisher’ Award by popular children’s portal Kidsstoppress.com. Preeti spent most of her childhood reading books and most of her adult life reading to children along with buying, selling and publishing books for children! Through her 22 year long career in the retail, publishing and content industries in India and Australia she has worked in a variety of business roles at organisation such as ToysRUs, Sony Music, Crossword, Future Group and also ran an independent children’s bookshop called Kidztown in Mumbai. Preeti is passionate about children’s content, children’s rights and empowering children to whet their curiosity, reach for their biggest dreams and have fun every step of the way!"

Miel Sahgal is a Director at the Sanctuary Nature Foundation, an organisation committed to wilderness protection. Over the past two decades she has held various positions at Sanctuary, including Managing Editor of Sanctuary Asia magazine. Her interest in education has encouraged her to teach as well as spearhead strategy and operations at Kids for Tigers, a pan-India conservation campaign in schools. As an event planner she has organised nature walks, environmental workshops and excursions for Mumbai families in order to help urban children reconnect with nature. Writing continues to be her favoured method of communication, used most often for issues she cares deeply about. Miel has a BA in Environmental Science from Bryn Mawr College.

Ever since she started writing a secret diary at the age of seven, Pereena Lamba has had a love affair with words. After completing a post-graduate degree in media studies in Mumbai, she spent ten years in advertising as a Creative Manager at FCB Ulka and J. Walter Thomspon, India. She moved to the UK in 2001 where she worked at the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, creating reports for their Adoption and Fostering panel. Five years later, she returned to Mumbai with her husband and two children and picked up her pen once again. A writing gypsy, she has penned a graphic novel and training manuals for a child rights NGO, taught English and created lesson plans for seventh-graders and written and edited articles for several lifestyle magazines and blogs. Totally Mumbai brings together some of her other passions - children, education, photography and the manic and marvellous world of Mumbai.