Varsha Seshan is a children’s writer from India, who has been shortlisted for multiple awards. She was awarded a general scholarship in 2024 and chose to take Cordelia Jensen’s online course Revising Your Novel in Verse.
Varsha’s Course Experience:
It was a great course, during which Cordelia gave us clear feedback that we can work on easily and apply to anything we may write in the future. She also shared an excellent list of verse novels, a wonderfully compiled reading list! With Cordelia, I worked on my third verse novel. My first two are out in India, and one is on submission in the UK. Verse novels for children are practically non-existent in India (a simple online search would show you as much), and I’m excited to be taking steps towards bringing a genre I love to children around me.
Varsha’s Scholarship Experience:
It was incredibly meaningful to receive a scholarship! I would never have enrolled for a programme without a scholarship. The exchange rate makes courses in the West rather expensive when you earn in Indian rupees. What made the scholarship even more of a treasure was the fact that you included the post-course critique in the scholarship, making the whole experience wholesome and rewarding. My experience with the Highlights Foundation staff was wonderful, as each one I interacted with was open, friendly and helpful. Thanks to the online world, it is possible for people to attend sessions like this from anywhere, but it is with scholarships that it is truly possible to do this.
A Short Q&A with Varsha
What motivated you to apply for the writing workshop and how did you feel when you learned that you had received a scholarship?
I’ve been on the Highlights Foundation mailing list for a while, and the workshops on verse novels always looked so exciting! The fact that so many of them are conducted online made them even more tempting. However, they are expensive, and I didn’t actually read up any more.
And then I learned about the scholarships, and I jumped at the opportunity. To be honest, though, once I sent in my application, I forgot all about it. When I received an email saying I had been granted the scholarship, I was thrilled! I knew instantly which workshop I wanted to attend. For me, the loveliest part was that Highlights Foundation was kind enough to cover not just the cost of the workshop, but also the optional post-workshop critique with Cordelia Jensen, making the scholarship even more valuable
What were some of the most valuable writing skills or insights you gained from the experience?
I liked the systematic way in which Cordelia explored the process of revising a verse novel. I have been writing for a while, and I worked on my third verse novel during the workshop, but working on revisions with a specific method in mind was a great step up from my usual process. An aha! moment for me in the workshop was marking out which sections focus on action and which ones on character reflection. Achieving a balance between the two can really take a manuscript to the next level!
Looking back, what was the most unexpected or memorable part of the workshop?
The most memorable part of the workshop was reading and critiquing one another’s work. Some of the writers who attended the workshop continue to stay in touch as critique partners, and that is truly special!
How has the experience influenced your writing or creative process?
I’m currently working on my next novel, and I feel the workshop I attended has broadened my horizons when it comes to narrative voice. I’m much more willing to experiment with style and technique, in ways that I haven’t ever done before. I don’t yet know where these explorations will take me, but I love the process!
More About Varsha:
Varsha Seshan is a children’s writer from India, who has been shortlisted for multiple awards, including the AG-BLF Prize, Singapore Book Award, and the Scholastic Asian Book Award. She loves silence, rain and the possibility of magic, and is happier with plants than with people. She conducts online book clubs and writing programmes for ages seven to 14 and is a classical dancer with over thirty years of training in Bharatanatyam.
Website: varshaseshan.com
Instagram: @varshaseshan
Facebook: @varshaseshan
Twitter: @varshaseshan
Threads: @varshaseshan
YouTube: @varshaseshan
Books by Varsha Seshan:
MIDDLE-GRADE BOOKS
• The Wall Friends Club ISBN: 978-9365692211
• Fishbowl (novel in verse) ISBN: 978-0143467076
• Red Eyes (First runner-up for the Scholastic Asian Book Award 2018) ISBN: 978-9354718069
• Uncontrollable (novel in verse) ISBN: 978-0143462408
• Sisters at New Dawn ISBN: 978-93-8593-265-6
• The Prophecy of Rasphora ISBN: 978-81-264-7461-5
CHAPTER BOOKS
• Dhara’s Revolution (shortlisted for the AG-BLF Book Prize for Children’s Fiction 2023, longlisted for the BK Awards) ISBN: 978-0143461524
• The Best Idea of All ISBN: 9788194732471
• The Clockwala’s Clues (shortlisted for the Neev Book Award 2021) ISBN: 978-0143451150
SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS
• Dragonflies, Jigsaws and Seashells (shortlisted for the Singapore Book Award 2019 and the Scholastic Asian Book Award 2016) ISBN: 978-9352759279
• The Story-Catcher ISBN: 978-93-8157-608-3
Support a Scholarship at the Highlights Foundation
Our Special Scholarships are donor-guided scholarship funds. The creators (donors) of the scholarships help guide decisions about the fund, including the type of program they can be used on and who can be awarded the scholarship.
There are two ways to support our special scholarships:
1) Support an Existing Fund – Does one of our special scholarships already serve a purpose you’d like to support? All our existing scholarship funds accept donations to increase their impact and ensure their longevity.
2) Establish a Special Scholarship – You can also create your own scholarship fund. Here’s how: Options start at $1,500 per year with a minimum commitment of five years. As the fund creator, you can design the scholarship, designate who it supports, and set other criteria. Contact us to discuss options.
In addition to special scholarships, the Highlights Foundation also provides general scholarships. Supporting our general scholarship fund is another great way to support storytellers here at the Highlights Foundation.
