Bombay, 1942
With Mahatma Gandhi’s call to the British to Quit India, the city has become a hotbed of revolutionary activity-student protests, secret magazines and even an underground People’s Radio which broadcasts news that the British want concealed.
Sakina and her friends Zenobia and Mehul desperately want to be part of this struggle for freedom. But there is little that they are permitted to do. But at least, they are trying to do something useful, while their mothers are only running a cooking club …
The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.
Lubaina Bandukwala trained as a journalist but followed her heart into children’s publishing as a writer, editor and curator of children’s
literature festivals.
With an impressive editorial career, Lubaina has contributed her editing prowess to numerous publications for esteemed media houses, including DNA, The Times of India and Time Life. She has also held the role of a consulting editor for Scholastic India and HarperCollins India. As a writer, Lubaina has showcased her versatility by crafting both fiction and non-fiction. Her works include titles like The Chowpatty Cooking Club and Let’s Do This Together: Math Stories to Solve published by Penguin Random House India.
She is passionate about promoting Indian children’s literature through literature festivals for kids. She founded the children’s literature section at the prestigious Kala Ghoda Arts Festival and her very own Peek A Book Literature Festival, held at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai.
As the awards director for BK Foundation, she helped set up the Binod Kanoria Children’s Book Awards and also serves as the Director of Communication for the Jane Goodall Institute, India.