Author Interview : Deepak Dalal, author of ‘Talon the Falcon' and 'A Flamingo in my Garden’

Deepak Dalal

Read up, Interview with Deepak Dalal’s Author of ‘Talon the Falcon’ and ‘A Flamingo in my Garden’, which make for superb reads. Both stories are easy to understand, for all kids and adults, alike.

And the illustrations by Lavanya Naidu are really good, and one can see the effort, of the entire book coming together, Folks...

How did ‘Talon the Falcon’ and ‘A Flamingo in my Garden’ happen? Could you describe the journey? 

All wildlife fascinates me – be it birds or animals. I’ve always wanted to write stories about them. Particularly in the case of birds, there is so much going on in their lives.

At any given time – be it morning or night, and in any season – birds are migrating across our planet. Their lives are full of adventure. The ‘Feather Tales’ stories hope to convey that adventure to young readers.

How did the stories, especially Shikar’s and Talon’s and Longtail’s and Sunglow’s come about?

The Talon story is all about the tyranny of a cage. Birds have wings. The skies belong to them. They can travel to any part of the planet. When we humans cage birds, it is a horrible and cruel act. We rob birds of their wings, their most precious gift. The Talon story provides a different perspective to a cage – from a bird’s point of view. The idea is for children to experience and become conscious of the appalling fate a caged bird suffers.

The flamingo story was inspired by the flamingos that visit Mumbai. It is quite amazing how flamingos have made a busy metropolis like Mumbai their home.

How did you manage to put in songs in the basic structure of your story, in the first book?

Birds love singing. But not all their songs are happy songs. They even have sad songs. And the saddest of all is the song that they sing when they are caged.

How did you come up with the core ideas and develop them?

It is a lot of hard work. You have a goal in mind and you work your way towards it. There are ups and downs along the path and several U-turns and complete re-thinks along the way. But if you keep at it, the ideas eventually come.

What according to you is different about your books?

I would guess that these are the first books that have birds as the main characters. 

Birds are tuned to the natural cycles of nature and readers draw closer to nature through these books. Also, the stories are backed by superb 4-colour illustrations.

How would you relate the lives of characters to the lives today? Any similarities?

All lifestyles of the characters are based on the lives of children today.

What was the most challenging part about writing these books?

The beginning of any story is always the most challenging part.

What book is coming from your desk, next? When do you see it released?

A third bird story (part of the ‘Feather Tales’ series) should be out next. Also, I am working on a story on dolphins.

Which book are you currently reading?

'Wonder' by R J Palacio.

Who are your favourite authors?

Richard Adams, JRR Tolkien, Louis Sachar, Neil Gaiman, Sharon Creech, and J.K. Rowling.

What else do you do on a daily basis?

I read, cycle, trek, travel and look after my investments.