Himalayan Academy
KAUAI, HAWAII, November 23, 2013: Himalayan Academy is producing a series of books for Hindu youth and invites both experienced and aspiring writers alike to contribute. We’re offering US$100 to the person who submits the best short story illustrating the character trait of loyalty from a Hindu point of view. This is a part of a series on good character traits, such as humility, initiative, courteousness, obedience, etc.
Loyalty means having firm and constant devotion to one’s family, friends, religion and country. One express loyalty when one is faithful in all their relationships. The opposite is disloyalty. For example, if a schoolmate makes an incorrect statement about Hinduism, the loyal Hindu youth responds with the correct Hindu viewpoint while the disloyal youth says nothing. If one’s neighborhood experiences serious floods, the loyal youth joins the cleanup effort while the disloyal youth does nothing.
The story should be about 2,000 words long, written at 6th grade English level. It may be set in any country. The main character is always a Hindu, and may be a boy or a girl. Other characters may be appropriate for the country–ie, other Hindus if set in India, or people of various races if set in the USA. They should be in standard short story form, taking place in one more or less continuous flow of action, in a relatively short time and with few characters. The story is set in the modern times and circumstances in which Hindu youth grow up today, offering them perspective and advice.
A possible plot on loyalty could involve the “cows, caste and karma” kind of presentation in one’s sixth grade class. A Hindu girl in the class objects, saying the social studies book is inaccurate, plus Hinduism is portrayed as much worse than the other religions. She appeals to the principal, who agrees to have someone from the temple come and give a presentation to the class.
You are also welcome to develop your own plot.
For reference see the book of stories, “Growing Up Hindu,” here: http://www.himalayanacademy.com/view/growing-up-hindu. These stories are the approximate length, style and language difficulty we are looking for.
The deadline is December 20th. The author of the best story among those submitted will receive $100.
The fine print: The winning story for which payment is made is considered a “work for hire” with all rights owned by Himalayan Academy. The story may or may not be eventually published. If published, the story will be edited and the author’s name attached.
For questions or to discuss plot ideas and story requirements, write Acharya Arumuganathaswami, ar@hindu.org.