subject: Trafford Publishing Author "Makes A Mark", says Canadian Youth Magazine [print this page] Trafford Publishing Author "Makes A Mark", says Canadian Youth Magazine
BLOOMINGTON, IN "We were ready to explore into the unknown," says Kaberi Chatterjee, when asked why she left her home country, India, and her well-established sub-editorial post of 16 years to settle in Canada. The former journalist and self-published author of coming-of-age story "Neil Must Die" admitted she was expecting the worst when she moved. But "Canada has been very kind to me," she laughed. "Even the winter [this year] has not been that cold!"
In India, Chatterjee was not only a journalist but sub-editor of the established newspaper Hindustan Times. But she and her husband made the decision to emigrate because, she noted, they had finally reached "maximum job satisfaction". She also made it clear that moving would help her raise her son in a background with less pressure and more opportunity. India is a very competitive environment with few options open for younger people.
This constriction also applied to Chatterjee herself. She had kept the manuscript for "Neil Must Die" on the shelf for about ten years, and was never able to publish it. "Just like there is discrimination [everywhere], there is discrimination in the publishing industry in India," she said. "They give opportunities to established authors. But how does an author get established unless he publishes his book?"
Finally, in March 2010, she was able to produce her novel with Trafford Publishing. "Neil Must Die" is a gritty book about a young man's struggle to free himself from the shackles of his ultra-conservative family. As a result he endures seemingly endless privations, including gang involvement, prison and cruelty at the hands of the authorities. But like Chatterjee, Neil believes in a new life, "come what may," as Chatterjee declared. Visit Trafford Bookstore (http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000172946) for more details of the book.
About the Author
Kaberi Chatterjee is a journalist, born in Calcutta, India, who grew up in a stately home under a conservative joint family system. She spent most of her childhood lost in her mysterious, huge house. This fuelled imagination and she began writing poems and stories from the age of six. She graduated as a journalist in 1990, wrote in 10 newspapers and magazines and worked for three newspapers in India. She wrote her first book in 2000 in India, a collection of simple short stories. Kaberi loves travelling and adventure sports. She has traversed the Himalayas and participated in white water rafting. Kaberi is also a qualified classical dancer, her real passion. She loves animals and nature. She now lives with her husband and teenage son in Mississauga, Canada. "Neil Must Die" is her second book.
