21 October,2010 07:16 AM IST | | Amrita Bose
The popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series is calling all Indian couples to share their stories of love, relationships and struggle in a new compilation
For all those who cannot do without curling up with a self help book along with popcorn and cola whenever they are down and out in life, The Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul series now presents a new compilation on the Couple's Soul. And the good news is that the Publishers (Westland) and editor Rajyashree Dutt who is compiling this new book is on the look out for real life inspirational stories from you. The only criteria being that your stories should be from the heart, true and not preachy.
Dutt, who runs a publishing house herself called Write Arm and an art gallery called Right Lines Art Gallery in the city confesses that she began readingu00a0 her first Chicken Soup book after she received the assignment to compile the stories together. "Once I started the process of compiling and receiving stories, it was a terrific personal journey of discovery and experience for me," Dutt says.u00a0
The series, which is an old American format and usually consist of 101 stories, are bestselling books usually featuring real inspirational narratives. The first book sold millions of copies and launched the series in 1993. The series now has more than 200 titles under it and has over 100 million copies in print and in 54 languages worldwide. There are several titles under the Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul series.
In the Couple's Soul series, Dutt is looking out for exciting, funny or sad stories between 300 to 1200 words, that would make readers laugh, cry or get goose bumps. Emotions and feelings should be expressed by characters in the story and the most important criteria is that the story should be written straight from the heart. It should deal with relationship themes faced by couples roughly along the lines of love and support, overcoming obstacles, coping with death and dying, aging, living your dreams, and giving back to society among others.
Deepthi Talwar, executive editor of Chennai-based publisher Westland says, "The idea is to try and cover all kinds of India specific stories for the Indian soul series." The narratives have to be culture specific and could deal with true stories of how a couple met, problems faced by a couple or obstacles faced when they want to become parents. Westland has a couple of other books in the pipeline as well in the future dealing with teenage soul, love, friendship, growing up, college soul and sibling soul among others.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
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And the rate at which Dutt has been receiving one or two stories on an average every day since she let out that she is looking for contributions only goes to show that the Chicken Soup has indeed taken over the Indian soul.
