Calaspia in Italian
Jun 23rd
Suresh and Jyoti Guptara were invited to the Mare di Libri festival in Rimini for the launch of I regni di Calaspia. La cospirazione in Italian, published by Mondadori in its prestigious i grandi range. They met fellow Fantasy author Licia Troisi and were featured in Italy’s top newspaper, Il Sole 24 Ore, among others.
German Book Tour
May 29th
March, April, May 2008
Calaspia. Die Verschwörung was released in March in publisher Rotfuchs’s biggest ever media and marketing campaign, launched at the Leipzig Book Fair. Between March and May, the Twins gave over 60 German-language readings and 100 interviews in Germany and Switzerland. After this intense promotional period, Suresh and Jyoti will only give the odd reading as they concentrate on “their real work”.
Competition Judges Announced
Oct 19th
The following eminent Judges are to select the Winners for the Calaspia International Storytelling Competition based on creativity and innovation:
- Gurcharan Das, world-famous business guru, columnist & playwright;
- Bianca Jagger the renowned social and human rights advocate;
- Dr Michael Nobel, great-grand-nephew of the founder of the Nobel Prizes, and immediate past-President of the Nobel Family Society;
- Alec Sokolow, Oscar® nominated screenwriter (Evan Almighty, Garfield, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Toy Story);
- G. P. Taylor, best-selling author (Shadowmancer, Wormwood, Tersias)
United Nations Geneva, Sept 2007
Sep 29th
 |
Suresh and Jyoti were participants and speakers at the Global Forum for Youth and ICT for Development in Geneva as the youth ambassadors of NABU.
SWITZERLAND, GENEVA, 26th – 29th September Yes, we had barely rubbed the gangrene from our limbs (intercontinental flights), thrown piles of clothes from one heap to another, deleted spam – uh, invitations to go out with friends – and piled the dirty dishes in the kitchen for our dear sister to wash, when again we had to pack our bags and hop, this time into trains, for Geneva. The USA book tour and meetings with our German publisher left us quite breathless. Next was a completely different challenge though, one of brainstorming, relationship forging and international diplomacy… Can the Millennium Depelopment Goals be rescued by Youth and ICT? *Sound epic music* Read on to find out! More > |
100,000 copy FIRST PRINT RUN Calaspia in GERMAN
Sep 12th
Rotfuchs, youth imprint at Rowohlt Publishers, has announced a sensational 100,000 copy first print of Calaspia: Die Verschwörung, the German edition of Conspiracy of Calaspia, for release at the Leipzig Book Fair in March 2008, incidentally Rowohlt’s 100th anniversary.
GERMANY, HAMBURG – REINBEK, 12th – 13th September 2007
Whereas California was hot, Germany had been misty and raining for weeks. We brought the sun with us wherever we went on this entire tour (you are very welcome, partners).
Rowohlt, our German publisher, is celebrating its 100th anniversary next year 2008. It was therefore an especially big honour to be asked to present our book to the Representatives in person, whose job it is to sell us to bookstore owners. This was the first in a string of wonderful meetings, most of which we have not been able to contribute to but for which we are happy to leave the publishers to their own devices, resulting in a first print run of a 100,000 of Calaspia: Die Verschwörung (Conspiracy of Calaspia in German). More >
USA Book Tour
Sep 10th
Suresh and Jyoti started with meetings and interviews in New York before going on to San Jose, Monterey, San Francisco and Los Angeles. They were presented with Scrolls of Honour by the County of Los Angeles for donating 1,000 copies of Calaspia and promoting literacy and education with young people. The Twins gave a variety of public appearances including live TV (e.g. Fox and KTLA The Morning Show).
Guptara Twins Promoted the Calaspia Storytelling Competition, 23 Aug – 10 Sep 2007
It’s our first time in the USA. Yes, that’s right.
Whenever you tell this to an American in America, they think they haven’t heard aright. “What? Seriously? You’ve never been to the States?” We reply that that’s the gist of it. Having seen East and West Coasts now (but, unfortunately, not much in between), we can appreciate their point of view. Nevertheless, one can’t help but think of the millions of Americans who have never been to another country, let alone crossed the pond to another continent; and that no one would say to the rest, upon hearing that they have set foot for the first time in, say, Switzerland: “Are you sure? You have never been in the Alps? Never tasted real – real – Swiss Fondue?”
NEW YORK, 23rd – 29th August 2007
First stop was New York, where we had an interview with ImaginAsian TV, the first channel in the US dedicated More >
WIN 10-Day Tour of England!
Aug 13th
Calaspia International Literary Competition
Gentle Reader,
We are very excited to announce our partnership with Sought After Media USA, Starbloom Ireland, and Nivedit Good Books India, along with support from The C. S. Lewis Foundation, in launching the Calaspia International Literary Competition!
Readers below the age of 26 can write a 1000 word essay (that’s short!) and Win a 10-Day Tour of England’s Literary Sites!
Who knows, perhaps Suresh and Jyoti themselves will even join in!
The essays will be judged by a panel of 5 eminent people from the world of literature and education – watch the media for news.
For more info on the Calaspia Competition see: http://www.calaspia-competition.com.
With best regards,
on behalf of the Guptara Twins
Suresh Finishes School
Jul 29th
After four wonderful years at Bradfield College, Suresh has now finished his A-levels, scoring four As and a B (English Literature, French, German, Maths, Physics). He joins twin Jyoti in Switzerland as a full-time writer.
German Calaspia Rights Sold for 6-figure advance
Apr 11th
After a bidding war among several German publishers, the venerable literary publisher Rowohlt has purchased rights to the first three books in the Insanity Saga for a six-figure advance. Book One to be released by Rotfuchs in 2008, Rowohlt’s 100 anniversary year.
Calaspia a Bestseller in India
Mar 20th
After debuting at #8, Conspiracy of Calaspia has risen steadily to #2 on the Indian Fiction Bestseller list, one slot behind Booker Prize Winner The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai, an Indian herself.