Wednesday 23 December 2009

INDIAN DRUMS PART-II

A Journey With the Knowing of Devotional Musical Instruments

Prevalent Indian Drums-Structure and composition

Leather instruments are mainly called as ‘Anabadha’ or ‘Abadha’ playing instruments.
In India there are several types of instruments.The significant names among them are Pakhawaj,Tabla,Khol,Dhol,Nakkara,Mridangam,Dvil,Sudha Maddalam,Chenda,Urumi,Pambai,Udukku,Tumbakanari,Huduk,Tilima etc.

The descriptions are as follows:-(Leaving out Tabla and Pakhawaj)

Khol:-
The other name of ‘Khol’ is ‘Mridangam’ but it should be confused with the ‘North Indian ancient Mridangam’ or ‘Pakhwaj’.The whole body of ‘Khol’ is made with burnt clay. The middle portion is higher and has two slanting faces on either side.The two face are made of leather and the middle of each face has a black portion called ‘Gab’.The right face(maxm. size-2/3 inches) is smaller as compared to the left face. The specialty of ‘Khol’ is there is no need of adjusting ‘sur’ or scale as in the case of tabla. ‘Khol’ is usually used with ‘Kirtans’, Devotional songs and ‘Kirtananga Rabindra Sangeet’ .It is also used with Manipuri dances.


Dhol:-
The body of a Dhol is made of wood and the faces are of leather. Normally a ‘Dhol’ is 18’’ to 20’’ inches in length and 12’’ in breadth. The two sides are fitted with strong ‘Rojju’ which are given through small round rings. The rings are used to adjust the scale of the instrument. They are played with free hands or sometimes with the help of sticks. They are mostly used to accompany folk songs.


Nakkara: -
‘Nakkara’ is one the most significant ancient musical instruments. ‘Bheri’ or ‘Dundubi’ can be considered just as different types of ‘Nakkara’. Usually ‘Nakkara’ is made of Bronze or Brass and its shape is much like the ‘Bayan’ of a tabla. The face is made of leather and is tightly fitted by ‘Rojju’. Its height is approximately 2’1/2 feet to 3 feet. ‘Nakkara’ is played with the help of sticks but with the ‘Sanai’ of North India ‘Nakkara’ is played with hand only.


Mridangam:-
The North Indian ‘Pakhawaj’ is called as ‘Mridangam’ but it has certain dissimilarities with the ‘Mridangam’ of South India. The size of a ‘Mridangam’ is less than that of a ‘pakhawaj’ and whereas the left face of a ‘Pakhawaj’ is played with open palm ,in case of ‘Mridangam’ it is played with fingers like that of a ‘Bayan’ of a Tabla. The length of a ‘Mridangam’ is approximately 1’1/2 to 2 feet. It is usually played with heavy classical music and songs of North India.


Tabhil: -
The shape of a ‘Tabhil’ is much like that of a ‘Dhol’ Its right face is played with fingers while left face with strong wooden stick. This instrument is used with classical musical instruments of North India.

Suddha Maddalam:-
It’s a North India musical instrument and resembles much like that of a ‘Mridangam’ but much bigger in size than ‘Mridangam’ and its ‘gab’ is also much thicker and larger.It has a much heavier sound wave than ‘Mridangam’. This instrument is indispensable for the Kathakali dance of Kerela.

Chenda: -
‘Chenda’ is a type of ‘Dhol’ with length 2 feet and breadth 1 foot. It is played with the help of two sticks in two hands. It is also used with Kathakali dance of Kerela. It is also used with the folk dances of Northern and southern India.

Urum:-
It is also like ‘dhol’ in structure and the two faces are made of leather.It is played with the help of a 1’1/2 inches long curved stick.

Pambai:-
It has been made by uniting two 1 foot long ‘Dhols’ together. The upper part is made of brass and the lower part is made of wood and both faces are of leather. It is played with hand and stick. It is usually used with folk dances of the Northern India.


Udukku:-

It is about one foot long with a thin middle part and shaped like that of a ‘Dugdugi’. It is either made of wood or mud. It is held in left hand and played with right hand. It has limited use in some folk songs of Tamil Nadu.



Tumbakanari:-

It is the Kashmiri ‘Dholak’. It is shaped like a water pot. The lower part is made of leather. It is help below the left arm and played with the right hand. It is a very popular instrument of Kashmir.

Hudukku:-

It is like a ‘Dumru’ but much larger in size. Its both faces are made of leather and are held together by strong rope. It is suspended with a rope from the left shoulder and played with the right hand. It is popular in the ‘Gharwal’ AREAS.



Timila:-

It is also a type of dholak. It is suspended with a rope from the left shoulder and the upper part is played with both hands. It is used in devotional songs of temples of Kerela.

by Sonnet Mondal.

Tuesday 22 December 2009

The Christmas dreams came true!




Last week I got an e-mail of a young guy from Latin America, he is about fourteen years age, maybe a little bit more, he wrote that he read about Bombadil Publishing somewhere and he don’t believe this marvelous opportunity. I mean, he explained to me that he have a big trust on us, in our editorial work, but it’s was so amazing that’s was unreliable and unbelievable, because he had dream about to be listened by somebody and to be interested in his book.
This young boy wrote that in the matter of the facts he beg to Santa in a letter for two years ago if he could find an editorial agency whom could take care on his literary business and finally came Bombadil Publishing in his life as a gift from the sky, a gift he had asked for to Santa. A Christmas gift! His dream about to be edited came true with Bombadil Publishing!
I wrote back this young boy, that Bombadil Publishing is a really matter, that we are represented globally nearly all around the world, that we have several thousand young writers whom are a part of our world, a part of our vision to get a better world, with our slogan YOUTH2YOUTH have found the heart of many young writers around the world whom transmitted their messages of love, their messages of hope, peace and love to other young writers and other young people… And adults too!
I wrote too to this young boy that is not a casualty that Tom Bombadil (Our inspirited character of the Trilogy of the Lord of the Ring) and Santa had a splendid white beard, and both like children, but I aggregated that Tom Bombadil likes younger to twenty six year old and everybody who’s thinking as a young!

We at Bombadil Publishing wish Merry Christmas to everybody and Happy New Year

Wednesday 16 December 2009

Indian Drums-A Musical Journey

There is no reveal of Tabla or Pakhwaj in primeval India. Inspite of this predominantly no discrepancy can be found out between Pakhwaj and Mridangam though many such differences can be found in Tabla. Beliefs and estimations vary about their existence in past and their time of arrival.

The seals of the Mohenjodaro Indus valley civilization contain depictions of men playing long cylindrical drums hung around their necks played horizontally. These drums are most similar to the kharrang of Assam and with the dhole of the Reddis of Andra Pradesh. Other drums inscribed on the seals include an hour glass shaped drum like the hudukka, castanets and cymbals. Some arched harps found in their hieroglyphics and unearthed clay whistles demonstrate they developed a tonal system, but no literature exists which we can translate in order to learn about that system.

The first credentials of music occur in the Vedic scriptures, of the Aryan culture. The most ancient Vedic literature describes drums covered with the skins of wild animals, large earthen drums, and the role of the drums in various rituals. The name of the drum mentioned in vedic literature was ‘dundhubi’.

Literature from the Nardiyasiksa and the Natyasastra that was written around 100 B.C.E. provides a great deal of knowledge regarding music. Naradiysiksa, describes vedic and ghandharva music. It states that semi-divine ghandharva music is composed of three elements: svara, tala, and pada. Narad describes the essentials of vocal and instrumental music. In the 31st and 32nd chapters, the Natyasastra gives descriptions of tala, the fundamental aspects of India rhythm. According to Bharata, tala was known as 'ghana' and time as 'kala'. Laya, called kalapata, subdivided into vilamvita (slow), madhya (medium), and druta (fast). Kala divided into three parts, citra (two matras), vartika (four mantras), and daksima (eight mantras). Bharata stated that tala, or time unit, was known as the measurement of kala, ('kala kala pramanena tala ityabhdhiyate' 31.7). Two kinds of talas existed, n'sabda (soundless or beatless), and sa'sabda (with sound or beat). The soundless tala again subdivided into 4 kinds: samya, tala, dhruva, and sannipata. Other terminology regarding rhythm included: yati (a method of applying a tempo of a tala -- of which they had several kinds: sama, srotogata, gopuccha, damaru, pipilika), prakarana (to make a song ready for singing), satala (with any rhythm), atala (without rhythm). With such terminology they clearly developed a complicated rhythmic system. This originated before the classical music age (600 to 500 B.C.E.), as ghandharva music became obsolete before the Bharata period. Ghandharva music provides the link between vedic music and post-vedic marga type of music (which evolved around 700 B.C.E., and provides insight to the classical period as well.

Mridangam was found to have existence from archaic times but it was found unfeasible to prove their existence in vedic ages and the puranas do not give any description of the shape of mridangam in particular. The “Natyasastra” epoch of Indiaprovides us some information regarding the silhouette of the instrument. At that time the ‘mridangam’ that was played placing in one’s lap was much like the present day’s ‘mridangam’ but it lacked the black portion in the middle known as ‘Gab’. Other features that we see in today’s ‘mridangam’ including its name were added to it during the time of Bharatmuni.Swati noticed the salient features of the instrument and named it ‘Tripushkar’ or ‘Pushkartray’. Muktesvara temple (6th-7th century) and Bhuranesvara (and three other cave temples) of Badari in Bombay (6th century) contain depictions of the Puskara. Musicians often placed the puskara's smaller verticle drum (called 'alinga'), on their lap and played more than one drum at a time. Given the the design, technology, and musical structure for drums common in this this period, we can piece together numerious features of the tabla. During the time of Shrangadeb the name ‘Mridangam’ again replaced the name ‘Pushkar’ and the name ‘Mardol’ accompanied it.The differences between ‘Mridangam’ and ‘Mardol’ was the former had 12 finger size of the two faces while the later had 13 and 14 finger size respectively. ‘Mardol’ was made of wood and had rings to adjust the scale and tune while ‘Mridangam’ was made of tight clay and mud. The similarity was the black middle portion ‘gab’ was densely made in both cases.

The name of ‘Mardol’ and ‘Mridangam’ was found to be associated in the music of different cults in India but none of the books clearly mentioned about them. Suddenly during the Muslim advent in Indiath page of this book he has written a four line sloka which indicated the use of Tabla and Pakhwaj in Northern and Western India during14th and 15th century. the name ‘Pakhwaj’ came into existence. In the book named “Sangeetoponishadsarodhar” written by Sudhakashal presented a detailed study upon opinion of youths free of western influence regarding Indian music. In the 87

It is guessed that in the 14th century, ‘pushkar’ and another instrument named ‘Abja’ was combined to create ‘Pakhwaj’.

Taking a look into the discovery of Tabla there are so many conclusions and varying opinions about it. The correct is still unheard of.

Some of the noted are:-
1>Some experts consider that Tabla originated from the Arabian instrument ‘Tabl’.The name has been supposed to come from the son of musician Jubal’s son Tubal.
2>One strong belief is In 1300 A.D. during the reign of Allauddin Khilji Parsi Poet Amir Khusrau discovered Tabla.
3>In paras another instrument name ‘Nakkara’ was prevalent .Therefore Tabla also might be a Parsi instrument.
4>Going into ancient times some people believe that Tabla has oriinated from the instrument “Audharka” which was much like Tabla in structure.
5>Sangeetacharya Gopeshwar Bandopadhyay believe that Amir Khusrau the second , the disciple of Sadaranga was the real founder of Tabla.This was during the period of Mughal Ruler 3rd Mohammad Shah.
6> Some people believe that famous Pakhwaj player of Delhi Ustad Sudhar separated pakhwaj to make tabla.

Sudhakushal said that Tabla is a Muslim instrument but there is no proof in history supporting his statement. There is no substantiation anywhere that Tabla was used in the 12thCentury before the coming of Anir Khusrau but again in some books of western writers it has been mentioned that instrument like Tabla was used from the 6th century. Another thing worth mentioning here is in Italy there was an instrument named ‘Tipani’.The photo of ‘Tipani’ which we can see in the 192ndpage of the book “Musical instruments through the ages” indicates clearly that the Arabian ‘Tabl’ was like the ‘Bayan’ of a tabla. Another instrument named ‘Tabar’ was found in Western lands that indicated the shape of the ‘Dahina’ of a Tabla. So the time period from when did this instrument come into play is still controversial but the reason of the discovery of Tabla was quite obvious. Musical instruments like ‘Mridangam’ or ‘Pakhwaj’ produced heavy and deep seated sounds and were suitable for songs like ‘Dhrupads’ but on the other hand as the light classicals like ‘Khayals’ and ‘Ghazals’ became popular there was a need for a much more lyrical and sharp sounding musical instrument that led to the discovery of Tabla.

by Sonnet Mondal.

Europa y Latino América: ¡¡¡DE JOVEN A JOVEN !!!

Deseo comunicarle al mundo entero con mucha alegría y beneplácito que cada vez que un joven escritor nos contacta me contagia con su energía e inspiración cuando leo sus textos y manuscritos.


Desde la Península Ibérica y su capital Madrid, nos ha contactado el talentoso y enérgico joven Yoandy Cabrera, el cual ha obtenido un Máster en Literatura en la capital del idioma español y a enviado a nuestras redacciones el principio de un libro que hemos enviado a uno de nuestros mentores y auguramos un éxito literario.


También me llena de mucha satisfacción que desde mis queridas tierras andinas y mas específicamente Perú, nos ha contactado el joven talento y promesa peruana, Franco Finocchiario, estudiante de la prestigiosa Universidad de Lima, estoy segura que tanto Bombadil Publishing y Franco trabajaran arduamente para obtener un magnifico resultado el cual se reflejará en un legado a las futuras generaciones en forma de un libro editado.
Pero también desde tierras “ticas” es decir el verde y democrático país de Costa Rica, hemos establecido contacto con el joven escritor y poeta Andrés Jiménez.


Y desde las cálidas y tropicales tierras salvadoreñas, nos han llegado dos libros de dos jóvenes talentos literarios a saber: Luis Guillermo Ibáñez con Pseudónimo Luis Gallamo de tan solo 15 años al cual le predecimos un brillante futuro por las cualidades literarias mostradas, por ser ganador de varios premios literarios, nos ha enviado su libro “El Gran Día de Al –Zaidi”.
Además el joven de 14 años Ricardo MancÍa de Pseudónimo Radandi, con su libro “Fabrica Literaria” nos ha impresionado por la calidad de su narrativa en la cual expresa el pensamiento de los jóvenes actuales y estoy segura que este libro es buen material para nuestras imprentas.
Con estos dos jóvenes, nuestro mentor Guillermo Galicia, ha dado una excelente muestra tanto de su trabajo personal como Mentor de Bombadil Publishing y del talento literario de la Juventud Salvadoreña.



Todo esto me llena de mucha inspiración y alegría que los jóvenes en el mundo demuestran la capacidad que tienen para mejorar globalmente y obtener un mundo mejor… Un Mundo Bombadil!!!
¡DE JOVEN A JOVEN!

Maggy Jacinto

Monday 14 December 2009

Lucia!

On the 13th December every year Sweden turns into an ocean of lights for the celebration of Lucia. The traditional way of celebrating this annual event is to dress in a white dressing gown and carry burning candles while singing, often there is a choir performing or school classes and the celebration is mostly held in churchs.

Lucia originally comes from Saint Lucy, but is also known as Saint Lucia, (283 – 304) who was a Christian Martyr. Her name comes from lux, lucis "light", and she is the patron saint of those who are blind. Lucy, or Lucia consecrated her virginity to God, refused to marry, and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards took out her eyes with a fork. In medieval accounts, Saint Lucy's eyes are gouged out prior to her execution. In art, her eyes sometimes appear on a plate that she is holding.



Sometimes the story behind this celebration is forgotten and vanish behind the happy celebrations, which is a shame since Saint Lucy was and is saint to keep in mind and look up to.
Over&Out
Sara

Sunday 13 December 2009

Human Right’s Day: Still a long way to go

We’ve just celebrated Human Right’s Day on 10th of December. Officially, it’s been being celebrated since 1948 in over 189 countries all over the world. We also mark this day as ‘struggle against poverty’.
On this occasion Mr. Tom Malinowsky from Human Rights Watch in the U.S. state of Washington opined that there had been a significant progress in human rights over the last 40 years" "I think there is greater awareness around the world that people have fundamental rights and that those rights are enshrined in both law domestically and internationally"
The same day an article was published in a leading Australian daily, “The Australian” titled “The day to mourn, not celebrate, human rights”. The article writes that the year 2009 was worst of past decade in terms of human rights’ violation:
“Mass killings have continued in Darfur, the Congo and elsewhere in Africa, with only minor and sporadic attention from the media or the UN.
Dictatorships in North Korea and Burma terrorize their citizens daily, with no end in sight.
In Iran, a rigged election brought thousands of democracy protesters into the streets, where they were attacked (at least 70 people, including Neda Agha-Soltan, were reportedly killed) and arrested, followed by Stalinist show trials designed to intimidate these advocates.
Tragically, Human Rights Day, which marks the anniversary of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Genocide Conventions, now serves as a reminder of the abject failure of the international community in living up to its moral commitments. Ignoring the pleas of victims around the world, the UN Human Rights Council is locked on to a political agenda that uses the rhetoric of international law as a weapon in the political war targeting Israel.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference, which controls the UNHRCs agenda and chooses its officials, has no interest in opening a discussion of the systematic oppression of women or minorities in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Libya, Gaza, etc.
Israel is a convenient diversion, which explains the obsessive focus on "war crimes" claims, including the biased mandate of the Goldstone report on the Gaza conflict.
To make matters worse, the non-governmental human rights watchdogs that were created to offset the unethical behavior and biases of governments, have become accomplices in promoting oppression.”
We really have come long way ever since the UNO’s 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights came into existence. We can’t deny the role of UNHCR and OHCHR in Africa, South America and war affected zones such as Kosovo, Chechnya, Cambodia, Srilanka etc. Thousands of people, especially women and children have been rescued and rehabilitated. Yet, establishing an egalitarian society free of any sort of human rights’ violation is far from reach. Millions of innocent people will continue to suffer even in the most developed parts of the world. If we really want to curb all sorts of human rights’ violations, we must bolster democracy, print and electronic media, police and judiciary system and emphasize on empowering women. Otherwise, all these demonstrations, summits and promises on paper would be of no use.

Yours Alex

Friday 11 December 2009

Bombadil Publishing are opening the Spanish literature ways in Latin America.

Bombadil Publishing has opened the Spanish literature ways in Latin America.
We, in Bombadil Publishing, see our work in Latin America to be growing and growing every day. The Spanish market began to grow in March 2009. Now Bombadil Publishing has its presence in almost all the Latin American countries.

From Canada to the Argentinean Patagonian we can see our wonderful development with young writers and today about 300 young writers are working very hard together with our mentors in Latin America. We are very happy to be a part of this young world who is wonderful, marvelous and in the best literary mood, there are young people meeting young people, young voices are being listened to by others youngsters as well. These young souls are writing in this very moment the books to the next generations, the books to the future, the books that will be the legacy to our children, and the children who will make a better world.

I want to congratulate all our mentors around the world; we have mentors in Swedish, English and Spanish. The YOUTH2YOUTH Messages of peace, love and hope are really true with those young writers as well as our mentors who will give the world this brilliant legacy of literature through Bombadil Publishing and I want to mention those mentors and dedicate a great regards to all of them who are working in Latin America:

Margarita Alfaro, Carlos Molina Velásquez, Miguel Pinto, Guillermo Antonio Galicia, Marco Antonio Lima, Ricardo Berdugo, Preyer Huamán Torres, John Lossio Hawkins, David Vera, Sandra Leiva y Maggy Jacinto.

To all them our gratitude, respect and admiration!
YOUTH2YOUTH
Melvin Gonzalez

Thursday 10 December 2009

Awakening youth to establish an egalitarian society

"[Vivekananda is] one of the very greatest historical figures that India has ever produced. When one sees the full range of his mind, one is astounded." Christopher Isherwood

A spiritual genius, who was born in an affluent Datta family in Kolkata on 12 January 1863, was the living embodiment of handsomest and noblest inheritor of supreme goodness. From childhood, he was an enlightened soul who worshiped science and emphasized on honesty, sincerity and selfless love to conquer the world. To him ‘unselfishness is God’ and ‘Religion is the manifestation of the divinity already in man’.

After 1884, during his journey to explore India, he stumbled upon appalling Poverty and hungry millions all over. He was deeply distressed and decided to awake the slumbering Indians. At the time of wandering and sermonizing, he heard about World’s Parliament of Religions and went on the request of friends in 1893, in Chicago.

Austerity in grave-featured personality and commanding intellect of this anonymous spiritual guru of India that flourished in the significant lecture at the Parliament of Religions, where he represented Hinduism. His profound acquaintance with Eastern as well as Western culture, luminously handsome personality, spiritual insight with Yogic temperament, impressed whoever came in contact with him. He received an honorable appellation - the ‘divine orator’ from his enthusiastic adherents all over the world. "The thought of this warrior prophet of India left a deep mark upon the United States . . . . I cannot touch these sayings of his . . . without giving a thrill through my body like an electric shock. And what shocks, what transports must have been produced when in burning words they issued from the lips of the hero!" - Romain Rolland

In his sojourn in the west, he preached the ennobling principle of Vedanta Philosophy and practical analysis of religion. He was agnostic and stressed on working hard with sanguine determination to shape up the life which will indubitably assist us to accomplish at acme of self satisfaction. Self nourishment is an indispensible process for leading a successful life.

In 1893, when he arrived in America, which was by then hardly known in Europe, was quite impressed by the workmanship of the people and progressive culture. After returning in India, he wanted to add new dimension by instilling the inspiration and workmanship spirit in Indian youth so that they could demolish the abject poverty and backwardness of the masses forever.

After 108 years of his death his humanistic teachings are equally relevant. But has India changed? Do the Indian youth possess the tremendous perseverance and comprehensive vision to give it a modern shape? We are overwhelmed by his dynamic spirit, worship him and have built massive monuments in his remembrance. But the question remains, “have we dedicated ourselves for the implementation of the universal figure’s adage?”

It’s time we youth listened to what he voiced a century ago.


.....Mousumi

Tuesday 8 December 2009

Gira Bombadil en Latino América

Vemos con mucho agrado y satisfacción que nuestra actual gira en Latinoamérica esta sobrepasando las metas que nos habíamos propuesto, pues la aceptación que hemos obtenido en la parte oriental de El Salvador ha sido enormemente placentera.

Después de tres entrevistas televisivas y cuatro radiofónicas y una entrevista con la Casa de la Cultura, serán muchos los jóvenes que se acercaran a Bombadil Publishing y allí estaremos para darles las mejores atenciones en la cual desarrollaremos conjuntamente con estos jóvenes escritores; escribiendo acorde a nuestra filosofía e ideología, la comunicación de joven a joven, legado para futuras generaciones.

Maggy Jacinto and Melvin Gonzalez in El Salvadorian TV

Nosotras representantes de Bombadil Publishing Maggy Jacinto y Margarita Alfaro Bulle, estamos trabajando arduamente con nuestros mentores en Latino América para darles seguimiento a todos los jóvenes escritores que se están acercando a Bombadil Publishing tanto en El Salvador y toda Latino América y estamos seguras que pronto daremos a luz los resultados a través de los libros editados.


Pero lo que más nos ha sorprendido a sido el inicio literario de 23 jovencitos de la ciudad de Ahuachapán, la cual se ubica en la zona occidental de El Salvador, en edades comprendidas entre los 14 y 17 años, quienes conjuntamente con nuestros mentores Guillermo Antonio Galicia y Marco Antonio Lima, están desarrollando 23 distintos libros y como parte de nuestra ideología será un legado literario de joven a joven… y también de los adultos que así lo deseen, entre estos 23 temas podemos mencionar : leyendas, historias, cuentos cortos, ficción, en fin temas actuales que llevan mensajes de amor y esperanza para obtener un mundo mejor, un mundo Bombadil.
Desde aquí deseamos exhortar a todos los jóvenes con ambiciones literarias a acercarse a Bombadil y formar parte de nuestros sueños y hacer realidad un mundo diferente.


DE JOVEN A JOVEN


Written by: Maggy Jacinto

Bombadil Publishing se abre camino en grande en Latino América.

Con mucha alegría vemos en Bombadil Publishing que nuestro crecimiento en Latino América se ha dado de una forma asombrosamente explosiva, empezamos nuestras operaciones en Marzo de 2009 y podemos informar orgullosamente que hasta la fecha estamos presente en casi todos los países del continente, desde Canadá hasta la Patagonia en Argentina contamos con el desarrollo de casi cien escritores que en estos momentos han enviado sus manuscritos y alrededor de trescientos que nos han contactado y que se preparan para empezar para escribir un libro con nosotros. Pero nuestros mentores están trabajando arduamente conjuntamente con estos jóvenes escritores haciendo historia dentro de la literatura, desarrollando los libros que serán nuestro legado a futuras generaciones, proporcionando esos mensajes de amor, paz, esperanza y fe que de joven a joven transmiten nuestros libros en Bombadil Publishing.
Como Director Ejecutivo de La Sección en Español de Bombadil Publishing, me siento muy orgulloso de formar parte de este maravilloso grupo de trabajo que conformamos en Bombadil Publishing en español y deseo saludar con mucha alegría a todos esas magnificas personas que dan nombre y que dan vida a nuestra filosofía de ayudar de joven a joven en todo Latino América y España también, me refiero a Maggy Jacinto, Margarita Alfaro, Carlos Molina Velásquez, Miguel Pinto, Guillermo Antonio Galicia, Marco Antonio Lima, Ricardo Berdugo, Preyer Huamán Torres, John Lossio Hawkins, David Vera, Sandra Leiva y muchos otros, desde la Oficinas Internacionales de Bombadil Publishing enviamos este abrazo y este beso a todos ellos.
Pero también es digno de hacer mención de que Bombadil Publishing tiene muchos otros mentores en Sueco y en Ingles quienes atienden nuestros jóvenes escritores alrededor del mundo en muchos países en todos los continentes, inclusive la Antártida, estos mentores están ayudando al desarrollo de los legados literarios en los tres idiomas que editamos nuestros libros, es decir en Ingles, Sueco y Español, podemos afirmar orgullosamente que tenemos diez mil jóvenes escritores que de forma global están en contacto permanente con nosotros y pronto el mundo vera el resultado de esta maravillosa colaboración en el resultado de miles de libro editados por nuestra Editorial Bombadil Publishing.


DE JOVEN A JOVEN CON LA LITERATURA

Melvin González
Director Ejecutivo

Monday 7 December 2009

Go out and meet nature

Yesterday I woke up in a terrible mood, it was grey, dull weather, I had not slept very well and so on. Frankly I was quite moody. Not the best beginning of a Sunday morning I thought to myself. But since it was not raining at least we ( me and my boyfriend) decided to take the car and drive to a very small mountain not far from our hometown Trollhättan called "Halleberg" and go for a walk. Halleberg

When we came to "Halleberg" we both realized we had never been on this mountain before and didn´t quite know the ways around it, it turned out to be a quite long walk just because we kept going on new paths which led us further and further from where we had started our"little" walk. Which I can feel in my body today; feverish and my cough became worse, but it was totally worth it! Because of nature! My bad mood was swept away as a soft wind as soon as I started walking through the thick and healthy forrest, my smile grew bigger for every breath of fresh ait my lungs inhaled and I felt like I had woken up a second time, this time happy. Nature is fabulous and at least I forget which inpact it has on me when I´m gone from it for too long. So go out and meet nature and heal your soul with the magic from our nature!


Over&Out

Sara

Friday 4 December 2009

The first woman who won the Nobel Prize in literature

Last night I was reading some parts of The Wonderful Adventure of Nils and I found it awesome that tempted me to know more about the author. I found her to be the first women, from Sweden, in the world who got the Nobel Prize in literature.
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf, an internationally acclaimed female author, who won The Nobel prize in literature in1909 for her widely known fairy tale ‘Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige’ (The Wonderful Adventure of Nils) which was written after three years of devoted studies on nature and birds’ life. She was awarded for her "lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception".
She was born on 20th November 1858 in Mårbacka, in the province of Värmland in southern, and spent her childhood there. She had a great passion for reading from childhood and was much more mature than others of her age. She started her journey by taking part in a literary contest which she won and furthered.
She changed the realistic movement and emphasized on imaginative and romantic manner which drew the attention of masses readers; in a nutshell she abolished the border between the dream and reality. Danish translation of her first book Gösta Berlings Saga received wide critical acclaim all over the world and led the way of lasting success. Her later works are Löwensköldska Ringen (1925), Charlotte Löwensköld (1927), and Anna Svärd (1928) [The Ring of the Löwenskölds, 3 vols.]. She also published several volumes of reminiscences under the title Mårbacka (1922-32) that earned fame for her. On 16th March 1940, she died of a stroke at her home. Some of her books became text book in Swedish schools.

......Mousumi

Thursday 3 December 2009

Bombadil Publishing´s official blog now also in Spanish!

Or very first blog in Spanish was published on Monday and it was the Peruvian Lady Maggy Jacinto, mentor and assisting Coordinator for Latin America who wrote from El Salvador, and talked about the wonderful work of our youngest writers.

But I want to shed light on the voyages we are doing in Latin America, Bombadil Publishing is working right now in El Salvador and get contacts with diverse people here which are active in the literature world, people whom help young writers, people whom carry on Bombadil Publishing philosophy, to create communication between young people but between adults too.


The young Spanish writers are many in Latin America now, from Canada to Argentina there are numerous young Bombadilians writing a book with the help of a mentor and together with us developing a great legacy to the world, a legacy of love, hope and faith to future generations, all over the world!

We are very proud to assure that our presence in Latin America will get the results we are looking for, which is to publish books by youth who want to express themselves!
Yesterday was we in a TV channel in El Salvador and we told about our work in Spanish, the TV people was very impressed about our wonderful work, can you imagine? Tom Bombadil has become a celebrity here in El Salvador, because the literature, because the young people whom are writing together with Bombadil Publishing and sent their messages to the young whom want to be a part of our world, a part of the future, a part of the really true wonderful life!

Best regards to Bombadilians all over the world from El Salvador!
Melvin Gonzalez

History of English

The diversity in cultures, customs and norms that had initially taken birth from the five civillizations to become more diverse with the passage of time has been the main cause of the creation of different languages in different corners of the globe alone with different accent of speaking.With the tremendous globalization and theory of wiring the world into a global village the need to accept a common medium of verbal and written communication arose.Among almost over 1000 languages spoken all over the world English was accepted as the common and global language for communication. Inspite of being a young, English had gone through many phases of transformations from the old period to the modern period.English is originally a West Germanic language.During 5th century AD three west Germanic tribes namely the Angles, Saxon and the Jutes invaded Britain.The language of the British people was Celtic language. During these invasions most of the Celtic speakers were pushed to the west and north which comprises of the modern day Wales, Scotland and Ireland.The Angles belonged to Englaland and their language was Englisc from which Englan and English originated.

Old English
Period:-450-1100
Initially Old English comprised of a varied group of dialects representing the origins of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The original Old English was further influenced and afffected by two invasions-The Scandanavian branch of Germany who conquered parts of Britain in 8th and 9th century followed by the Normans in the 11th century. Ultimately these conquests made English a Mixed and Borrowing language.


The introduction of Christianity added another wave of Latin and some Greek words. The Old English period formally ended with the Norman Conquest, when the language was influenced to an even greater extent by the Norman-speaking Normans. The use of Anglo-Saxon to describe a merging of Anglian and Saxon languages and cultures is a relatively modern development. According to Lois Fundis, "The first citation for the second definition of 'Anglo-Saxon', referring to early English language or a certain dialect thereof, comes during the reign of Elizabeth-I, from a historian named Camden, who seems to be the person most responsible for the term becoming well-known in modern times".There were great differences between today’ english and Old English.English speaking people nowadays will have great problem in understnading them.


Middle English
Period:-1100-1500
In 1066 England was attacked by William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy (part of modern France.He conquered Ebgland. The new conquerors (called the Normans) brought with them a kind of French, which became the language of the Royal Court, and the ruling and business classes. For a period there was a kind of linguistic class division, where the lower classes spoke English and the upper classes spoke French. In the 14th century English became dominant in Britain again, but with many French words added. This language is called Middle English. It was the language of the great poet Chaucer (c1340-1400), but it would still be difficult for native English speakers to understand today.

Modern English
Early Modern English (1500-1800)
Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden and distinct change in pronunciation (the Great Vowel Shift) started, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century the British had contact with many peoples from around the world. This, and the Renaissance of Classical learning, meant that many new words and phrases entered the language. The invention of printing also meant that there was now a common language in print. Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Printing also brought standardization to English. Spelling and grammar became fixed, and the dialect of London, where most publishing houses were, became the standard. In 1604 the first English dictionary was published.

Late Modern English (1800-Present)
The main difference between Early Modern English and Late Modern English is vocabulary. Late Modern English has many more words, arising from two principal factors: firstly, the Industrial Revolution and technology created a need for new words; secondly, the British Empire at its height covered one quarter of the earth's surface, and the English language adopted foreign words from many countries.

Tuesday 1 December 2009

World's AIDS Day: Let's Spread Awareness












"The global HIV/AIDS epidemic is an unprecedented crisis that requires an unprecedented response. In particular it requires solidarity -- between the healthy and the sick, between rich and poor, and above all, between richer and poorer nations. We have 30 million orphans already. How many more do we have to get, to wake up?"
-- Kofi Annan
When obstacles are devastating, applying every possible means is necessary for successful disposal. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) day, marked on 1st December all over the world, is the important movement to generate massive awareness, fighting against prejudice and make all understand the utmost sense of seriousness. Each member of society needs to eliminate the space of ignorance which monstrously escalates risk of getting affected. Regarding this disastrous disease, education has been stressed to get rid of this epidemic man has ever faced. Contaminated needles, unsafe sex, breast feeding and transmission from an effected mother to the baby are the major causes of HIV.
Since its discovery in 1981, HIV has already shown its catastrophic consequences by taking more than 35 million lives between 1981 and 2006 and 2.7 million lives in 2008. At present, HIV, AIDS infects 0.6% of the world’s population. It itself proves that all efforts will go in vain if we don’t take the strongest initiative and precautions to eradicate; active participation from all sections of society is necessary.

.......Mousumi




The first Bombadil blog in Spanish!

Ahora por primera vez en Bombadil Publishing iniciamos nuestro blog en español y yo Maggy Jacinto, Asistente a la Dirección de la Sección en Español, tengo el honor de escribir nuestro primer artículo.

Como ciudadana de un país andino, específicamente Perú y escribiendo desde la República de El Salvador, siento el calor tropical de estos lares, pero siento también el calor humano de los habitantes salvadoreños que se vierte en el contorno sobre nuestra Editorial, la comunicación de Joven a Joven es muy visible en estas calurosas tierras Centroamericanas; pues Bombadil Publishing a recibido con mucho agrado una enorme aceptación de la juventud literaria salvadoreña.
Para hacer mención de lo anterior vemos con mucho beneplácito que se han unido a la revolución de la filosofía Bombadil una buena cantidad de jóvenes escritores salvadoreños, quienes conjuntamente con nuestros mentores esparcidos en toda Latino América están desarrollando muchos manuscritos que a su debido tiempo se convertirán en libros imprimidos en nuestra Editorial.
Estos nuevos bombadilios los podemos ubicar en las ciudades de Ahuachapán, Santa Tecla, San Salvador, San Miguel y en distintas ciudades del salvadoreño departamento de La Libertad.


Pero también es digno de hacer mención que la explosión en español de Bombadil ha alcanzado casi todo el continente americano: Canadá, EEUU, México, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia, Perú, Chile y Argentina.
Al mismo tiempo de manifestar nuestra alegría de dar inicio a este blog en español, informamos que una considerable cantidad de libros en español están siendo elaborados y revisados por nuestros mentores y la revolución Bombadil hace posible el sueño de muchos jóvenes latinoamericanos, jóvenes escritores que nunca pensaron que podrían hacer realidad ese sueño.
Desde este blog, envío mis manifestaciones de exhortación a todos nuestros jóvenes bombadilios a continuar con esa loable tarea de comunicarse de joven a joven.

ADELANTE BOMBADILIOS HISPANOS PARLANTES, HAZTE ESCUCHAR A TRAVÉS DE LA LITERATURA.
DE JOVEN A JOVEN.
Maggy Jacinto.

Monday 30 November 2009

Learning new things

A couple of weeks ago I decided to make a drastic change in my life, I decided to change my everyday life and even my future if you will.

I decided to learn to play the guitar.

This might sound a bit courageous to say that learning how to play the guitar will change my life and future, I am not aiming to become a rock star or anything like that, BUT I do believe that playing the guitar will change my life anyway. I will meet new people through wanting to learn more, I will be able to express myself in a new way and I will foremost gain new knowledge.

My first guitar lesson might not have gone surprisingly well, I am, not a talent, let´s put it that way, but I did have a lot of fun and quite sore fingers to be frank. My biggest concern after just one lesson was “How can it be so hard?!” I have quite a few friends who play either the guitar or some other instrument and they always seems so relaxed and comfortable whilst playing and all the sudden it was really difficult when I was supposed to do it! I guess it does take some practice… This will take time, time that I am more than happy to spend to enrich my life in the future.

Philoshophical Sara says Over&Out

Thursday 26 November 2009

Change of Eras - From Modernism to Postmodernism

Not too remote but four decades ago we had a singular outlook towards materialistic elements, human emotions, mental architecture, aesthetics and art forms. The two prime and most significant events in the 20th century were the two devastating World Wars that paved the way to many movements which later turned into theories and concepts. Whether it be the transition from the 1st wave to the 3rd wave of Feminism, from Deconstruction to Reconstruction, from Modernism to Postmodernism or from Classical to Fusion era, these two events were gateways of the alterations. Presently we are in the Postmodern era which can also be otherwise called as Fusion era. To a student of science, the term fusion is not alien and he will flash upon with the concepts of nuclear fusion to describe the term that is - The blending of two light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus. Sighting the aesthetical and philosophical meaning of the statement we can welcome it as the base avowal for today’s fusion world- Blending of two good things to bring out the best. Nothing but today’s Postmodern mind acts as alchemy to it. But what are the changes that this fusion and postmodernism has brought about? Referring to a study called as mapping postmodernism and synthesizing charts or lists in the works of Ihab Hassan, Donna Haraway, Frederic Jameson, David Harvey and Jean-Francois Lyotard some changeover from modernism and postmodernism can be presented as snapshots such as from Monopoly capital in modernism to Multinational Capital in postmodernism, Semi-autonomous culture to Commodified Culture in socioeconomics. Considering Poetics the changeovers are like from Emotions to Random Intensities, Character to Caricature, Plot to Labyrinth, Parody to Pastiche, Detective Model to Sci Fi Model, Individual Ideas to Free floating codes, Readerly attitude to Writerly attitude, Metaphor to Metanomy while considering Miscellaneous Figurations the evolution is from Biology to Immunology, TB to AIDS, Mind to Artificial Intelligence and Labour to Robotics. Coming into personalities just for a better knowing if we refer Carl Marx, Stravinsky, Freud as Modernists then Baudrillard, Cage, Lacan can be considered as Postmodernists in their places.

But with the advent of the 21st Century, Postmodernism seem to be placed as a theory towards completion of Modernism rather than a reaction against Modernism. This is evident from the blending of traditional and modern thoughts and ideas. In music the word Fusion leads others in terms of popularity which is nothing but a blending of classical and fast pace music. In poetics short simple poems are popular. The World needs new ideas and maximum output at a faster pace. The only reason is materialistically we need recognition and aesthetically we need peace. Though achieving neither of the above has been easier till date and perhaps this is the reason why the pace is going on increasing. At times devastating mistakes are also resulting due to the tremendous pace of working. The Global Economic depression bears testimony to this fact. Not only this according to the latest theory of Postmodernism that man is a slave of his/her own perspective and all are correct according to his/her own perception, unruly activities have increased enormously .The terrorism and terrorist activities and the political disorders prove this. Looking at the brighter side individual freedom has never been such before as in this era. There are too many opportunities in almost every field through which one can focus his/her talents. “Around The World in 80 Days” no longer seems to be a dream. Ideas no more go into waste; there are always some people to appreciate. The positives in this era are not meant to cover up the negatives and neither the negatives can but a competition always goes on.
The ending note as well as advice can be the words of Sophocles’s “If you don’t change yourself with the changing world, you will be thrown like an antique piece in the museum of History”.

Poetically speaking,

“Neither Shakespeare nor Newton
Falls heavy upon this era
Where emotions are trampled for honor-
Where recipient is more and less are the donors!!
Rays of hope knock every morning –
Yet falls out in a haste-
Where thinkers are called beggars,
And performers are treated as guests..
Where they are the fools who follow castes-
Where words come before trust!!
Where one may hail you as dust-
And the other as Prince!
The sound of Fusion rings-
In the cements and grasses-
Where Modernists fail to execute-
And Postmodernists Sing.”


By Sonnet Mondal

Tuesday 24 November 2009

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Since 1981, 25th November is identified as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by United Nations mainly in the remembrance of brutal assassination of three Mirabel sisters who fought against dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961).

Around the world violence against women has taken a devastating shape. According to the UN report, country specific data show more than 70% of women become victim of physical brutality. Other shapes of hostility against women are domestic violence, ostracism from their family, Femicide, trafficking, dowry death, honour killing, sexual abuse at schools or colleges or workplaces, rape either by husband or intimate partner or strangers and many more. Death rate as the outcome of various forms of violence is higher than death due to disability or diseases. This day is intended to spread awareness of women’s human right and eliminate the demoralizing practices; it is also to empower women and advocate their strength.

In India, a campaign for change in daughters' perspective 'Daughters against Dowry' will be launched on this occasion (25th November, 2009). A National seminar is to be conducted on "IMPLEMENTATION OF DOWRY PROHIBITION ACT" In Delhi more than 500 girls from various schools will assemble and highlight Dowry Prohibition Act.

......Mousumi

Monday 23 November 2009

Nostalgia

Writing can be many things; nostalgia, therapy, expression of crazy thoughts of happiness or frustration. To me writing is all of those things.

Have you ever gone through old note books? Old texts written long ago? I did the other day, and I was overwhelmed by how those words written long ago brought all those feelings back again... The mind is funny in that way, how feelings can be brought back into daylight just by reading a couple of old poems, written not to be read but just for being written. It´s dangerous, because it get at least my head spinning in high speed, wondering “could I have acted differently?” “Could I have made a better choice”. And in the same time I absolutely love the fact that I have note books and note books laying around to remind me of periods of my life which are now lost, maybe not always lost, but buried if you will. The album "Tigermilk" by Belle&Sebastain makes me nostalgic.

Today´s blog is a tribute to old times and to nostalgia, many people fear to touch nostalgia because many times it hurts to bring back old memories to life. In my opinion it´s a wonderful thing to be nostalgic (once in a while, not always) because it reminds me of whom I am and who I have been. And thanks to writing those feelings down in the past I can now remember why I made certain choices and why I didn´t make others and I realize that I have always made the right choices. It´s easy to remember things in a different light than i actually was; better or worse. Therefore I am happy that I have written these feelings down because in that way I can skip the hurtful thoughts of “what if”, based on my old poems and texts I remember how things really were.

So today I want to pay attention and tribute writing as a reminder; write for the sake of get a chip of your shoulder but also to be able to one day look back and remember, do not put a gloomy face on and feel bad about old and lost relationships or situations. Be glad about the fact that you have done it. Never regret, learn from your mistakes and greet the times you have done wrong because you have gained a new experience! And don´t forget to keep writing about it. This is most likely the only way to keep an accurate memory.

Sara says Over&Out.

Monday 16 November 2009

What is trust?



What do I need to trust somebody? Today I asked myself this question, for many different reasons, and quite naturally the next question was; what is trust?

For me to trust another person completely is not rare, I trust a lot of people, but I trust them in different ways. To show up at a friend’s house without make-up with a gloomy face and in a bad mood show that I trust that person. It might sound a bit vain and silly but it´s not like I am very narcissistic and think my looks are very important and therefore can´t show myself without make-up, it´s more about the person I am when wearing make-up; happy, funny, cheerful etc. Because that is what I would like “strangers” ( people I do not know very well) to think about me, which I think is fair, because why would I want to be a person who seems angry, annoyed and moody? I mean, I can be all of those negative things, at times, but those sides I do not want to share with the world at all times, just like I don´t want to share my inner and deepest thoughts and feelings with the rest of the world. So for me to for example go and see a friend with no make-up really mean “I trust you” because I am comfortable with showing both my good and bad sides to him/her. So like I said; I trust in different ways, for example: I have really nice friends who do not know my bad sides, although I trust them and I have friends who I will never share my problems, thoughts and doubts with, although we are really close friends.

Another type of trust is the kind of trust you show by being honest and not telling lies. I have friends which I love and think very highly of, some of them might not always pick up the phone or answer my texts, they might not always be reliable when it comes to planning things together; but they will on the other hand never lie to my face or let me down.

A trust which has been lost can be very hard to win back, and I quote Marianne: “I don´t believe in second chances, I believe in new opportunities” and I think that quote can be related to trust which have been lost; you will not be given a chance to get back that trust, you will have to create the opportunities to win it back again. You will have to fight yourself to show the person you have let down that you are to be trusted again. Am I right?

Philosophical Sara says Over&Out

Sunday 15 November 2009

India celebrated Children's Day

“Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future” -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Celebrating this day, we promote children’s emotional and social well being and right, inject high aspiration and astonishing determination to stand still in front of crumbling odds, promise a humanitarian assistance and renew commitment to provide safety, security and ample opportunities to grow removing the sickening poverty from root and make them free from most distressed situations. Different colourful and cultural programs are organized, patriotic songs are sung, various fancy and quiz programs are held on this special day. All are dedicated to celebrate their spirit, talent and make them realize that they are the future of the nation and concern of the country.

First children’s day was celebrated across the world in 1955 October. Though, universally it is celebrated on 20th November but different countries celebrate children’s day on various dates. In India, it is celebrated with great enthusiasm on 14th November, the birthday of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who laid the foundation of modern India and emphasised on all-round development of children.

Yours
Mousumi......

Tuesday 10 November 2009

Does Age Really Matter?


Being a writer I can’t be passive towards the mass debate that started last week on our social network.

Age can’t be a constraint for writing. Numerous examples can explicitly be given: John Keats who died at the age of 25, Anne Frank who died at the age of 15, John Kennedy, who was posthumously given Pulitzer award, died at the age of 31, Raymond Radiguet (a French novelist and poet) who died at the age of 20, Sylvia Plath (an American poet and novelist) who died at 30, Thomas Chatterton (poet of 18th ‘Gothic’ literary revival) who died at the age of 17, are among greatest poets and novelists till date.


So, I feel-
Literature is a field where criticism is a must. Criticism, which sheds light on the flaws with compassionate attitude towards the work, certainly helps establish credibility thus should surely be kept in consent for furthering persistent improvement. But ‘destructive criticism’ is, I would opine, combination of senseless words, enough for derailing authors’ right direction. One is liberated disagreeing authors’ point of view but with proper reasons and honest opinion, which is certainly essential for an individual’s betterment, otherwise damage can be done. Therefore, it is better to depreciate one’s hostile disagreement by throwing away those useless negative words.

.....Mousumi

Monday 9 November 2009

Take care

Almost everyone have a friend who has not been feeling well, or might even be depressed, almost everyone have at times not been feeling very well, or even been depressed!

Some people feel an ease through talking to others, some people might close all difficult feelings inside...And for many of us writing is a way to express our feelings and a way to ventilate our thoughts to the world in a way that do not mean confrontation or needing to tell people "I´m not feeling very well". Friends is many times a savior when ones soul is not whole and what I would like to express in today´s Bombadil blog is; Take care of each other. If your friend is not well, ask them what you can do to help. Depression is at least in the western culture something you do not speak about, well I guess you do speak about it, but not enough. Youngsters feeling bad about themselves, given medication at young ages for their "problems" is not a topic which is talked about easily at the dinner table.

But what really bothers me is; They are given medicine to solve all their angst and bad feelings, but no one seem to ask "Howcome all these people, all these young people, our future, why are they feeling so low?" The problem is attacted when it´s in full bloom but no one seem to ask the question "How do we prevent this issue?". The solution is not medication to still your brain or sleeping pills to make you sleep your problems away, the solution is being open and accepting that the issue exists and trying to figure out where it all started... And meanwhile, we have to take care of each other.

Over&Out
Sara

Friday 6 November 2009

The Mentors in Bombadil Publishing: a big part of us!

In the magnificent and marvellous world of book writing, the writers do the main work. Our young writers get inspiration and write onto the paper (or computer), giving the world a legacy for future generations. And the messages from youth to youth are in many ways a part of the new way to find a better world, an optimistic world there the young people are working together, transferring their ideas to each other by writing books with us at Bombadil Publishing.

At Bombadil Publishing we get our books out all over the world in a new and productive way since the young writers work together with our mentors throughout the entire process.

Our mentors are there all the time for the young writers, to help them to get a better vision, a better literary form, to get feedback, for inspiration. Our mentors are the final link helping to assure the quality is excellent in all ways, without in anyway losing the initial gist of the story and the soul of the author.

We at Bombadil Publishing have a lot of magnificent mentors in several countries around the world, in India, USA, Canada, England, Sweden, Spain, Chile, El Salvador and Peru, to mention just a few. Every mentor has our philosophy very clear, the Bombadil Publishing’s philosophy, which is to help the young people to give their messages of hope and faith of a better world to other young people around the world. Our mentors work together to help achieve this better world. YOUT2YOUTH

Bombadil Publishing is proud to introduce to the worlda new mentor, the magnificent Preyer Huaman Torres, living and working in Lima, Peru, Preyer is a young man, 30 years old who has been interesting in literature in his young years back in school, he is dentist and works actively to help the people in the Peruvian Amazon to get a better life. Welcome Preyer to the Bombadil family!

ALL OVER THE WORLD WITH BOMBADIL PUBLISHING

YOUT2YOUTH!

Melvin Gonzalez

Patience brings success

Success comes when we do our duty wholeheartedly without thinking a fraction about the result-that’s what I have learnt while reading Tagore’s biography. During first 51 years of his life the success he achieved was least. People of outside Kolkata (then Calcutta) hardly heard his name.

On his second visit to England in 1912, he started translating some of his poetry work, Gitanjali, in English. His son was accompanied by him. Unfortunately, he left his father’s briefcase, which contained a notebook of hand written translation, in the London subway. But an honest person returned it to him on the very next day. When they were published in 1912, by the initiative of W.B Yeats, the whole world embraced him. For the first time world enjoyed the mystical and sentimental beauty of Indian culture. Within a year he got Nobel Prize. He was the first non-westerner who was so much adorned and honored. He never anticipated his work would be so adorable and far reaching.

Today we know Rabindranath Tagore as the most successful icon but anyone of us hardly realizes his years of struggle behind it; after spending 51 years of life in anonymity, he got world recognition. “Success comes to those who least care for it”

Yours,
Mousumi

Wednesday 4 November 2009

First snow

Snow, snow . . .

Well luckily yesterday was not my day for blogging. It was that kind of day that had the feeling that your "head was gone" or more correct it felt as the mind was gone. But it is like that sometimes and not much to do about it! Like the qoute I got from a friend:

"That day is still to come . . . . "

And today the first snow for the season, fall down from the sky! Yeak, well as you all know I want summer :-). Sure a sunny day with white snow, then the nature can be wounderful and just amazing. The winter scene can be stunning on those days :-).



But for now it just look like this (look the picture) more or less, not so much snow at all. Maybe that also can illustrate how the head/mind feels, a bit "snowy" :-).

So now my "head" has no moore to say.

by by
Mari

Tuesday 3 November 2009

Learning Time Management From These Bombadilians

For the last couple of days, Mousumi and I have been interviewing our young authors from different parts of the world. These authors, against the popular perception about youth, have mastered the skill of time management. They are not just authors; they lead multiple roles. Shabana Rashid Diya, a twenty year old journalism student from Dhaka, Bangladesh is not just academically excellent but also a budding photo journalist whose photographs have been appreciated in various international exhibitions. She is also a contributing member of 'The Rising Star' the most circulated English daily in Bangladesh. And the list doesn't end here: She writes monologues, plays a critique of music and the everyday issues, voices the needs of those around her, leads social activist groups and teaches young children to dream. When asked how she manages to do all these things and still manages to continue her studies. In the answer she told me that she had been practicing time management for past ten years. Diya is now working on her second book - With A Price Tag - that rediscovers the rejuvenation of a lost identity in a young girl at modern society during troubled times.

Meet our another author Dipanway Maitra, a 19 year old poet, essayist,from Kolkata. He dropped Engineering just to follow his dream: World's Literature. He is an epic poet, essayist, elocutionist, thinker, painter. And what else? He is a professional Kick Boxer. He has already played for national team and aspires to be a world known player. His soft voice contradicts to what he is and does. At present, he is working on epic poetry and has completed the manuscript. But there is no stop: the next project is already taking shape in his mind.
These youngsters are highly passionate about what they do and they know how to do it.
They respect time and utilize every single moment.
"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing."
Thomas Jefferson

Sincerely yours,
Alex

Monday 2 November 2009

It´s getting dark now.

Sweden is truly a beautiful country with great nature and magnificent scenery; we have got considerable lakes and majestic forests, open fields and maybe not the highest of mountains but still a few hills to “climb”.

As a Swede I am proud of the variety my country has to offer and the fact that the very soul of Sweden can be found where ever you decide to go in our tall country which form Sweden; in the south you´ll find it like a whirlwind across open fields, in the midlands it is sneaking around in the deep woods and drizzle in little brooks, in the north you´ll explore the absolute face of nature with the northern lights.

There are though a few disappointing details about Sweden too... For example it can get very dark up here, and it does get really dark. Right now, 5 pm Swedish time (1+ GMT) it´s already pitch dark, about a month ago the sun was still up at this time, but during autumn the amount of sun hours decries very rapidly, unfortunately. In the very north of Sweden during winter the sun will barely go up in the middle of the day before it decides to “call it a day” and go down again. Although during summer there are several days when the sun won´t go down at all. And this is what I can´t stand about my so beautiful country; darkness. What´s the point with a astonishing nature if no one can see it anyway? The dark time of the year stretches from the end of September to sometime in March, normally and I´m now referring to the part of Sweden where I live, which is the sort of southern west coast, around Gothenburg. In other places in Sweden it will be different. The lack of sun can make you depressed since you do not get as much C-vitamin from the sun as needed and just the darkness itself can bring your mood down, surprised? Although the autumn/winter sometimes shows a nice side to it too, with snow and ice, and it redecorate our woods to dramatic white landscapes and fields turn into to snow white canvas, truly stunning. But that is if it´s bright enough to see it of course. =D

Over&Out
Sara

Friday 30 October 2009

A memorable night

Last night, I read about Karin Boye, a greatest women Swedish poet, novel as well as short story writer. Much of her works deal with the themes of life, death and desolation. She was a poetic genius who liberated herself through her works. “Yes, of course it hurts’ is the most famous works that brought huge success in her life outside Sweden.

What has inspired me about her poetry is that she held quite modernistic philosophy about life. Even after 70 years of her death, her views are still relevant. She was influenced by Buddhism. Among her greatest works I liked these two:

A BUDDHIST FANTASY

Unlocked is the world's copper gate.
High in its gate-vault here I stand,
and what I see is infinitely great,
and no sight is so without end.

However deep I look, however far,
my gaze receives no help beneath.
All that I know exists no more -
not great, not small - not life, not death.

One single step on pathways free,
and for me all return is closed...
Why do you quake? Up, follow me!
For the universe's copper gate is forced!

INWARDS

My God
and my truth
I saw
in a strange hour.
People's words
and commands were silent.
Good and evil
my soul forgot.
My God
and my truth
I drank
in the hour of my angxiety.

My God
was salt darkness,
my truth
hard metal.
Deeply I shook.
Naked I stood,
washed by waves
of cold truth,
cold, strong,
contemptuous truth -
my Truth
and my God.


Finally, I’d like to thank Sara for introducing such a wonderful poet to me.
Sincerely,
Mousumi

Thursday 29 October 2009

Chile: A country with literary skills has joined to The Bombadil’s Generation!


The Bombadil world are growing in a beautiful and wonderful way in Latin America, and global as well; every day we are getting new writers and mentors who understand the Bombadil Publishing’s philosophy, which is communicated betweens young people who share this message of hope and progress with other young people: and adult who want to too; all around the world!
Bombadil Publishing wants to welcome our very brand new mentor from Chile, Sandra Leiva; Sandra is living in the big city of Santiago, the capital of Chile, the South American country that has born several magnificent writers as the Nobel Price Winners in Literature Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral.
Sandra Leiva has taking with her the austral and long country Chile in our Bombadil world and with Sandra has coming the very first writer from Chile to us, the young lady Fernanda Ferrada, she is writing a roman and is in the terminal phase and we can have soon Fernanda’s book in our prints and we’ll get the book to the world.
Bombadil Publishing proudly introduce to the world our Mentor Sandra Leiva, our young writer, Fernanda Ferrada and of course the republic of Chile.
YOUTH2YOUTH
Melvin Gonzalez

Wednesday 28 October 2009

Not much, just a bit

Hi all

Well don't have so much to say today just this:

Down
Up
Sunshine
Homesick

That's what it feels today, including a bit dizzy in my head with my new stronger glas in the glasses. But now I at least see very good, not blurry at all :-).

Picture from Devianart.com

“A friend is someone who understands your past,
believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”

have it nice until next time
Mari

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Festive Season Ends; Winter Begins



Festive season has taken a temporary full stop in India until 25th December and 1st January. All our authors are returning and furthering their own fragmentary works. I have already received two novels from Bombadil authors to whom I am mentoring. I am stuck on stunning revelation of inner world, revolutionary fervor of mind and heart of various evolving authors who are not only liberally imaginative but also brilliantly experimental. Sometimes their creative curve, which they express through their eminent stories, is quite gripping and extremely poignant to me. I find their mass explorations are aesthetically superior. I am overwhelmed…

Finally the capital of India, Delhi, is singing the song of winter which has arrived prior to its time. Delhi is quite close to Himalaya’s cold weaves which often take over the entire city. Scorching weaves of summer changed and agreeable weather of welcoming winter pleased Delhities. Mornings are heavily fogged and sunny days are comfortable until winter furthers. Some are thrilled to cherish and some are pretty concerned as this year seems to be going to be the coldest one. Little Felix has started sleeping a bit more than usual: a big relief for Alex and me.
Anne Bradstreet has best said:
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

Yours,
Mousumi

Monday 26 October 2009

Meeting new people

Today I have been out of the office almost all day long, the reason behind this was a meeting regarding how do develop our surrounding for our youth?

"Leader" an organization who is working with development took the initiative to this meeting, as Barbro who called me last week expressed it: “I want your brain and your thoughts”. It did not turn out to be as brutal as it might sound, after a nice lunch together with six other “youngsters” with a cup of coffee in my hand I was ready to discuss how to change my surrounding! We spoke about things like “what attracts young people?”, “where do they hang out?” and “how can we improve their spare time?”. It was quite interesting to take an outsiders point of view and analyze myself and the habits I had when I was younger. I remember taking two busses who each took 45 minutes and then having to wait 30 minutes to get in to the venue where the band I sort of was interested in hearing were playing. Then me and my friends normally would have to leave about 20 minutes before the whole thing ended just so we could catch one of the two busses home again! When I was younger I didn´t have any problems with travelling, that´s for sure! All this hassle just because we didn´t have anything better to do, and as a 15-yearold I did not want to spend my Saturday night at home with my parents. Which 15-yearsold really do?

Anyways, we discussed these matters and how the society could improve in order to get the youngsters of today active and happy about the society they are growing up in, it was a great afternoon with many different ideas, thoughts, opinions and dreams to fulfill. I got really inspired and can´t wait until next gathering!

Over&Out
Sara

Friday 23 October 2009

Welcome to our new mentor! And to our fourth book in spanish

Bombadil Publishing AB proudly presented to the world our new mentor John Lossio Hawkins, who is living in Lima, Peru; John has a journalist degree and vast experience of working in tv. Right now John is working as editor to the news program with a majour audience in the national tv in Peru in channel “Canal America Vision”.

John is also a writer and has published a story called “30 Seconds” in the magazine “Prensaperu”. John is 31 years old and single. Welcome to the Bombadil’s family John!


At Bombadil Publishing we are also very happy to introduce to the world fourth book in Spanish “Sembran do Valores" written by the lovely and charming author Susana La Barrera. Susana La Barrera is a Peruvian lady living and working in Lima, Peru. This book is being set at the moment and will be ready for the global market in February. There are always many things going on in Peru.


Around the world around, many other good things are happening at Bombadil Publishing . So many good things happen all the time, and our work continues to bring the world a better future in the hands of many young people who are writing books which send messages of peace, love and hope to their peers - a Bombadil world. Come and join us!

YOUTH2YOUTH

Melvin Gonzalez

Wednesday 21 October 2009

Need it!

Well today no problem what to blog about :-).

Yesterday it happened! The thing that I don´t want to happen, I do get so helpless without my glasses!
Mattias and Lena (his girlfriend) wanted some help with putting up a curtain in the window that is high upp above the office stairs. I walked over to them. I was frezing so halfway down i started to tie the sweater round my shoulders, crasch I heard and my eyes was suddenly blurry!! I had in some way when I was tieing the sweater reach my glasses (I had them on) and accidently pushed them off me. Crasch bang, :-( one of the glass in my glasses was broken :-(. Noooo we all said.

Then it was just to go into town trying to get a time for a check on the eyes, I had not get the glasses from there before so I had to do a eye check. I just saw money flying away. But they did not have any time until in the afternnon, suck. Then back to office, but on the way we did go to my home and collected a pair of my older glasses. Luckily I had them left! Did not see too good in them but it was better than noting. So after lunch Mattias again drove mee into town for the eye check. Thanks Mattias! In the end it tourned out that I needed stronger glasses!! So it did get out a good thing from a bad thing anyway :-)):-)). Not so strange that I had have headache a bit moore than I use to have the past weeks.

When things like this happens you really notices that you are depending on something, for mee this time my glasses. I need them to see good on the screen and be able to work, and I need too see good on Tv and so on. I can moore than well understand people that are depending on some things to help them in their daily life. So Sara I do understand that you needed glasses too :-)).

Hopefully I get the new glasses in the end of this week or maybe in the beginning of next. I need and want them Now!

My old glasses (the reserve pair) at the laptop and on the screen honour office dog "Ubbe". It´s a picture from the mobile phone so it´s not he best quality.

So take care of your things in the daily situation, say nice word to each other and give a hug even if it´s not needed!

bye bye until next time
Mari

Tuesday 20 October 2009

Last week: A lot of work, fun and nostalgia

Last week was the busiest week ever with Bombadil Publishing with hundreds of enquiries pouring in. Though I am not surprised at all; if you are running for a cause, people are bound to join you. “Great Job!” “Well Done!” “All the Best” echoed my ears. Youths are so curious to know about what’s going on at our office, our soon to be launched 3D social network and lots and lots of questions about Bombadil authors and books.
Then we celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights and prosperity and now, another merriment- Chhat festival- is in the queue that is widely celebrated in the major regions of India especially in the northern states. My mother gave me a hopeless call, “You aren’t coming this time again?” I regretted not seeing my parents for three years now. Hopefully they come to us next month.
I really miss this festival which is dedicated to the Sun. Chhat is worshipping the rising sun in knee-deep water of Holy Ganges at the dawn as well as the sunset holding a basket containing variety of fresh fruits, dry foods and sweets. Devotees take customary holy dip and begin to chant the Gayatri Mantra. It has great impact on spiritual and physical aspects purifying the truculent mind from all dinginess of evil potent, remedying the earthy suffering of mankind and blessing with health and prosperity.

Women have to follow certain rules like abstaining from eating or consuming water, cooking meal and wearing any stitched cloths for the whole auspicious 24 hours. Women summon the Sun God singing traditional devotional song in chorus. This ritualistic aroma ends with consuming variety of folk dishes including every agricultural, seasonal item and vegetables.
I’ll miss my mother and elder sister on this very auspicious day. I wish I take the entire Bombadil team to my place Bodhgaya, the place where Buddhism was born.
....Alex