Name: Notebook and Other Stories
Brand: Blue Pencil
SKU: BP24
Availability: InStock

Description
In the Media

Winner of Sahitya Akademi
Bal Sahitya Puraskar (Kannada) 2025

Translated by Anand G

Genre : Children’s Fiction
Binding : Paperback (5.5″ x 8.5″)
Pages : 73 pages
Published : December 2025
ISBN: 978-81-943921-3-2

“In the anthology Notebook and Other Stories, you will not find ghosts and goblins, witches and wizards, demons and deities. What you will get are ordinary children using their armour of grit, gumption and chutzpah to face tough odds.

Shivalingappa, a master craftsman, weaves tales steeped in the ethos of rural life, with all its rustic charm and challenges about heroes (and heroines) without capes who take on the vicissitudes of life not with wands and spells, but with earthy wisdom and pragmatism rooted in reality.

A teacher by profession, the writer understands the sensibilities of his young protagonists. Their predicaments and responses resonate with the reader, who cannot help but empathise.

The anthology is reminiscent of RK Narayan’s Swami and Friends, in which slice-of-life incidents, tender humour, and sentiments leave an indelible mark. The pièce de résistance of this collection is the subtle sprinkling of values, which fall like a zephyr, not to overwhelm with a didactic tone, but to inspire with a light caress.”

From the Foreword
By Ramendra Kumar
Award-winning author, performance storyteller and inspirational speaker

K Shivalingappa Handihal

About the Author

Dr. K. Shivalingappa Handihal has won the Sahitya Akademi’s Bal Sahitya Puraskar for the year 2025, in the Kannada category, for his anthology of children’s stories titled Notebook.

The Bala Sahitya Puraskar is the highest Indian literary award at the national level, conferred by the Sahitya Akademi in recognition of outstanding contributions to children’s literature. Presented annually, it honours writers selected from among the scheduled Indian languages.

Dr. Handihal, an enthusiastic young writer from Ballary, is a teacher by profession. Constantly surrounded by children, he has committed himself to creating literature that reflects contemporary sensibilities and resonates with young readers. He holds a PhD in children’s literature and is engaged in serious scholarly study of the genre in Kannada and other languages. As the first recipient of this prestigious award from Ballary district, Dr. Handihal draws inspiration from the lives of rural children, many of whom face poverty, inadequate facilities, and harsh realities. His stories often revolve around the struggles and silent traumas experienced by these young lives.

His acclaimed collection of stories, Notebook, vividly portray the anguish and hardships of rural children. Interestingly, elements of fantasy are woven into these realistic storylines, creating a compelling blend of imagination and truth. These stories mark a bold departure from the traditional trend of children’s literature, which has often been confined to moral lessons, information, and didactic themes.