Peace and prosperity for his kingdom or freedom from a tiresome ghost?
King Vikramaditya’s justice is put to the test.
And how is a twelve year-old girl connected to this tale?
The tale of King Vikramaditya and a Vetal testing the king’s famed sense of justice is a classic. Many centuries later, these stories—that King Vikramaditya had asked for to be handed down generations—are narrated to a twelve-year-old girl by a mysterious old man. But who is this storyteller? And what connects the girl to a king from ancient times?
Poile Sengupta brings alive the age-old Vikram and Vetal stories in a new, energetic way. Funny, sad, serious and strange, this unique retelling proves how relevant these tales remain even today.
About the Author
Poile Sengupta has written several books for children. Her published works include The Exquisite Balance, The Way to My Friend’s House, Story of the Road, How the Path Grew (CBT), Waterflowers (Scholastic), Role Call and Role Call Again (Rupa), Vikram and Vetal and Good Heavens! One-Act Plays for Children (Puffin). Her stories have appeared in various anthologies like The Puffin Treasury of Modern Indian Stories, Sorry, Best Friend, One World (Tulika), The Best of Target, Favourite Stories for Boys and Favourite Stories for Girls. Her column, ‘A Letter to You’, ran in Children’s World for nearly three decades.
Poile is also a playwright. She has written several plays for adults, of which Mangalam has been published by Seagull Books, Calcutta. She has also written one full-length musical and a number of short plays for children.
She has been a teacher at school and college and is a well-known theatre person in Bangalore, which is her home. Poile now lives in Delhi with her husband who is a senior civil servant.
