Meet-the-Author event set May 24 at Henrietta Hankin Branch Library

Mamatha Prabhakar to speak about her book ‘Pratichaya’

>> Join the Henrietta Hankin Branch Library for a virtual Meetthe-Author event on Monday, May 24th at 7 p.m., to welcome Mamatha Prabhakar, author of “Pratichaya.”

“Pratichaya” is a Sanskrit word for ‘Reflection.’ The book is a tribute to her father K.G. Prabhakar that captures his life’s journey in short stories that span 75 years from his boyhood in India to adulthood. The twists and turns in his life and events that had a profound impact on him are presented in this heartfelt work that brings alive the charm of Indian culture and lifestyle of simple folks and the values and lessons they imparted.

This special presentation is part of our celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month. Come to learn more about East Indian culture and values. Ms. Prabhakar sees her book as “a view into the life of a struggling middle-class man in India (mid-century) who struggled and worked hard to uplift himself and his family without compromising on his values and integrity. Many such unsung ‘heroes’ have had their trials and tribulations and ensured that future generations benefit and learn from their experiences.” The book particularly focuses on the people and culture of the Mysore region of southern India. The author will talk about how the culture there has changed over the years.

The author will also discuss what she experienced in the process of writing her book. She will offer tips to “would be” writers and share the lessons she learned in bridging the gap between storytelling and the written word. Joining her in the presentation will be her son, Samarth Nair, a tenth-grader at The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, who helped edit the book. He will discuss the challenges of understanding the Indian concepts from the book and translating the language and content for a western audience.

Mamatha Prabhakar is a mother, an engineer, a wife and an author. Mamatha lives with her family outside Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. She works for a large multinational imaging and electronics company as a leader in their information technology team. Mamatha has always had the urge to write stories, and Pratichaya is her first book. She is currently working on her second book, a collection fiction and non-fiction stories.

To register for this special event, please visit www.ccls.org and click on “Find an Event”.