Category Great Women

What is Katherine Rundell famous for?

Step into the magical world of childhood with acclaimed English author Katherine Rundell, whose adventurous stories have captured the hearts of many young readers in recent years. Read on to discover more about this talented author and her enchanting tales.

Katherine Rundell is a celebrated multiple-award-winning English author whose poetic verse makes words dance on the page like sunlight on a rippling stream. With a heart full of adventure and a mind brimming with creativity, she crafts stories that ignite the imagination of young readers and transport them to magical worlds.

Born in 1987 in Kent, England, Rundell spent her formative years in Zimbabwe and Brussels. Following her undergraduate studies at Oxford, she was chosen as a Fellow of All Souls College, where she completed her doctoral thesis on the renowned metaphysical English poet John Donne. Last September she published the book ‘Super infinite The Transformations of John Donne’, in honour of the 450th anniversary of the poet’s birth. This critically acclaimed work won her 2022’s Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. Rundell who is in her mid-thirties now, started working on her debut novel ‘The Girl Savage’ the day after she turned 21. Drawing on her carefree childhood in Zimbabwe, and the devastation of her family relocating to Belgium when she was 14, her debut novel narrated the story of a free-spirited girl called Wilhelmina Silver who has spent most of her childhood on an African farm and is sent to a boarding school in England following the death of her father.

As an imaginative and adventurous storyteller, Rundell intricately weaves her intriguing and quirky personal interests into her characters, whether it is her love for tightrope walking or roof walking or her fascination with the Amazon. Her characters act as an extension of her inner child and her stories (that are generally aimed at middle-grade readers) combine elements of action, adventure, and magical realism. Her tales take the readers on a journey to faraway lands, where they can explore the mysteries of the world and discover beauty in its hidden corners. Some of her most well-known works include ‘The Rooftoppers’ which won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2014, and ‘The Explorer’, which was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award in 2017.

Choosing children’s literature

When Katherine Rundell first began writing children’s books, it was not because she saw it as her ultimate destination. Rather, she viewed it as a stepping stone, a path to follow in the footsteps of her literary idol Jane Austen. Rundell was acutely aware that her authorship was not at the level she aspired to, and so she turned to the world of children’s fiction as a training ground. But as she has grown and developed as an author, she has come to realise that the genre is so much more than a mere proving ground. To suggest that children’s literature is simply a place to polish her skills before moving on to “real” writing is a notion that she now passionately rejects

Reading: A way to cope with the loss

Reading is almost exactly the same as cartwheeling: it turns the world upside down and leaves you breathless says Katherine Rundell Reading was a cherished pastime for Randell, especially because it helped her during some of the most difficult years of her life. It was a stressful time for the family, and Rundell was only nine or 10 years old when her parents were caring for a foster sister who was terminally ill. The experience of losing someone so young was deeply saddening and profoundly painful for the author. Yet, she found solace in books devouring them with an insatiable- appetite. Looking back on this time she believes that it was no accident that she writes for the age she was when she experienced such heartache. Despite the pain, Rundell drew those she loved closer and cherished the things that brought her joy, namely, the power of storytelling.

Embracing the wonder of childhood

Rundell’s stories are more than just mere escapism; they are tales that inspire and challenge young readers to think deeply and feel connected to the world around them. Her books are important because they offer a glimpse into the human experience that is both universal and uniquely personal. She captures the essence of childhood wonder and joy but also the fear and uncertainty that often come with growing up. Her stories speak to the resilience and ingenuity of the human spirit and encourage readers to embrace their sense of adventure and explore the unknown.

Through her stories, Rundell shows young readers the power of creativity, resilience, and empathy, and why these qualities are essential to making the world a better place. The success of her books is a testament to the power of storytelling to inspire and transform young minds. Through her beautiful and imaginative works, she has created a legacy that will continue to inspire generations of young readers for years to come.

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The story of an American icon

A Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Harper Lee gave us one of the finest pieces in English literature, “To Kill a Mockingbird”. The novel which became a cult classic of modern American literature came out in 1960 during the Civil Rights Movement and is considered an exposé of racial prejudices that existed in the southern states of the U.S. Let’s read up on the author whose birth anniversary falls in April.

“Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird,” is an oft-quoted line straight out of Harper Lee’s much-acclaimed novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird”.

With Mockingbird, Lee gave us one of the finest pieces in English literature. The 1960 novel which became a cult classic of modern American literature came out during the civil rights movement and is considered an exposé of the racial prejudices that existed then in the southern states of the U.S.

This coming-of-age story is themed on social equality and is also a critique of the racist culture that was prevalent in America. The novel is narrated by a young girl, Jean Louise (“Scout’) Finch. Finch is the daughter of white lawyer Atticus Finch. Set in the fictitious rural town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the early 1930s, the novel has Atticus Finch fighting for justice and representing a black man for a crime against a white woman. It addresses how racial prejudices come into play as the family of Attticus gets targeted. The book’s message and the moral stance taken by Finch are relevant even today.

Let’s go back to the powerful quote. The setting of the story is during Christmas when Atticus Finch gives air rifles as gifts to his children Jem and Scout In the book, this is the first time that the title is alluded to. He is sure that the children may not shoot at tin cans but might aim at birds. He requests them not to shoot at mockingbirds. That’s because a mockingbird is a songbird and does no harm, it is said. It represents something pure and innocent that shouldn’t be hurt or punished. This lends a symbolic meaning to book.

The idea resonates across the book as mockingbirds are used to allude to the two characters in the book viz. Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.

Early years

Known as Nelle, Harper Lee was born in the Alabama town of Monroeville. She was the youngest of four children born to Amasa Coleman Lee and his wife Frances Cunningham Finch Lee. Her father, who was a former newspaper editor, practised as a lawyer and served in the state legislature. Growing up, Lee was more of a tomboy and was close with her schoolmate and neighbour, the young Truman Capote, who would also grow up to be a writer.

After Lee graduated from high school in Monroeville, she enrolled at Huntingdon College and then pursued a law degree at the University of Alabama. Once here, she wrote for several student publications. She then went to Oxford University as an exchange student for a year.

On returning from Oxford, she realised that her career was in writing and not in law, and dropped out. Lee later moved to New York in 1950 and took up the job of a reservation clerk.

Lee as a writer

In the late 1950s, she devoted her time to writing. In fact, a Christmas present changed the trajectory of her life. In 1956, her friends gifted her a year’s salary as Christmas present with a note asking Lee to write whatever she pleased. Come 1959 and Lee had completed “To Kill a Mockingbird”.

The novel was published in 1960 and instantly became a hit. The book also fetched her Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961 and still remains a bestseller. Lee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007.

The book has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. It was adapted to the screen, became a part of the educational curriculum, and was widely celebrated. But soon after its success, Lee retreated from public life and became a recluse. She turned down interviews and biographers. She moved from New York back to Monroeville, her hometown.

Always a mystery

Lee is also one of the most mysterious writers, with not much known about her personal or literary journeys. After her book made a giant splash on the literary scene, not much was known about her writing and it left people waiting for her second book. And when it was widely understood that she may not publish another, her first novel was considered a fluke.

There were even theories that the novel was written by her dear writer friend Truman Capote. But decades after “To Kill a Mockingbird” was published, a manuscript was found by her lawyer.

A sequel

“Go Set a Watchman” is considered either a sequel to ‘To Kill a Mockingbird” or a rough draft of it. It chronicles the homecoming of Jean Louise Finch, to a place fraught with racial tension. The book gives a dark shade to Atticus.

The unedited manuscript of “Go Set a Watchman” was discovered in a safe deposit box by the author’s lawyer and was released in 2015. However, the book was a let-down to some of the fans of Mockingbird, because it revealed the prejudices and weaknesses of Atticus.

Lee died in her sleep at the age of 89 in 2016.

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What are some incredible tales of women who dared to enter the man’s world disguised as men?

Here are some incredible tales of women who dared to enter the man’s world disguised as men!

Today, women are making a mark in various fields all over the world. But until as late as the 19th Century they had to struggle to get education even in the progressive western countries. However, many spirited women of the 18th and 19th Century donned men’s attire and set out to achieve what was denied to them simply because they belonged to the fairer sex. Some disguised themselves as soldiers while some, bitten by the wanderlust, set sail as sailors or cabin boys. Some concealed their feminine identity to earn a living – women were either not allowed to do certain jobs or were paid less.

Jeanne Baret

French woman Jeanne Baret was the first woman to circumnavigate the globe albeit in a man’s disguise.

Jeanne had a deep knowledge of plants, especially their medicinal properties. In 1766, she accompanied botanist Philibert Commerson on a French naval expedition by disguising herself as his young male assistant.

Over the next two years, the duo collected thousands of plant samples from across the world. Baret faced untold hardships on the ship but remained undaunted and focused on her research. She is credited with introducing the colourful bougainvillea vine to the western world. The vine was named after the commander of the ship.

Upon her return, Baret received recognition as a naturalist and the French government granted her a pension.

Deborah Sampson

Many courageous women masqueraded as men to join the army during the American Revolutionary War in the late 18th Century. The trend continued hundred years later as women were still barred from the battleground.

Deborah Sampson was the first American lady to don a soldier’s uniform. Deborah came from a very humble background and had to work hard from early childhood. At 21, she enlisted in the army by carefully transforming herself into Robert Shurtleff, her tall frame and years of hard labour helping in her disguise. After she was sent to the war front, the church excommunicated her on the strong suspicion that she was a man!

Deborah was injured several times but she would bravely tend to her own wounds to protect her identity. Eventually, the doctor treating her for fever discovered her secret and Deborah was honourably discharged from the army. Deborah had to fight a long public battle with the American establishment to get a decent pension.

Deborah Sampson was the first American lady to don a soldier’s uniform and went by the name Robert Shurtleff.

James Barry

The incredible life story of Dr James Barry was probably the best kept secret of the 19th Century. James Barry was born Margaret Ann Bulkley in 1792 in Ireland. Young Margaret was encouraged by her progressive uncles and mother to take up the overwhelming challenge of studying medicine at the Edinburgh University. So Margaret became James Barry and sailed to Edinburgh with her mother.

After graduation, James Barry joined the British Army and retired after 40 years as a top-ranking medical officer. Dr Barry was an outstanding doctor with fine surgical skills who became the first British doctor to perform a successful Caesarean section long before the advent of antiseptics and anaesthetics.

Dr Barry served in various British colonies throughout the world including India carrying out revolutionary work for the welfare of soldiers, and inmates of lunatic asylums. Barry’s work on hygiene and preventive medicine paved the way for new methods in treatment.

Dr Barry’s death left everyone stunned, for it was only then that everybody including her closest colleagues realised her true identity.

Margaret Ann Bulkley who lived as Dr Barry all her life was the first British doctor to perform a successful Caesarean section long before the advent of antiseptics and anaesthetics.

Hannah Snell

Hannah was born in 1723 in England. Though she hailed from a family of soldiers and military officers, little did anyone imagine that Hannah would become a soldier one day and fight battles! When Hannah’s husband deserted her a few months after marriage, she borrowed her brother-in-law’s suit, assumed his name James Grey and joined the Royal Marines in search of her husband.

Throughout her career as a soldier, Hannah was wounded 11 times but managed to conceal her identity. She revealed her secret only after returning to England. She was honourably discharged and even granted a pension.

Throughout her career as a soldier, Hannah Snell was wounded 11 times but managed to conceal her identity.

Billy Tipton

Billy Tipton was a well-known American jazz musician and saxophonist of the 1930s. It was only in 1989 when Billy died that the musician’s identify was revealed – Billy was actually a woman named Dorothy Tipton! Dorothy began dressing as a man in order to get an opportunity to perform in jazz bands and the disguise lasted a lifetime.

Dorothy began dressing as a man in order to get an opportunity to perform in jazz bands and the disguise lasted a lifetime.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Many women writers of the 19th century published their work under a male pseudonym as a woman’s work was not taken seriously those days. Notable examples are Mary Ann Evans alias George Eliot and the Bronte sisters – Emily. Charlotte and Ann each of whom had a male pen name.
  • English journalist Dorothy Lawrence wanted to cover the WWI as a reporter. But was unable to get a posting on the front because of her gender. So, she connived with two soldiers, forged documents, smuggled a uniform and managed to join the army as Dennis Smith But the stress of working at the warfront proved too much for her and she gave herself up within a week. Her story is now part of an exhibition on women at war in the Imperial War Museum in London.

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Who is known as pepper queen of India?

Rani Chennabhairadevi is known as “The Pepper Queen’ (Raina da Pimenta) of India. Her reign lasted 54 years, the longest by an Indian queen. She ruled from Gerusoppa, capital of the Saluva dynasty, between the 15th and 16th centuries. Her kingdom extended from Goa to Bhatkal and Karwar, up to Malabar. This belt was known as pepper country, as the spice grew in the virgin forests. Shiploads of pepper, betel nut, timber and sandalwood were traded with the Portuguese, British, Dutch and Africans in exchange for precious metals and stones. Most of the trade happened through Mirjan port in Uttara Kannada. The queen resided at and controlled the pepper trade from Mirjan Fort on River Aganashini. The Portuguese and the Keladi kings tried to capture Gerusoppa which Chennabhairadevi thwarted twice. The Keladi kings joined with the Bilagi chieftains to defeat her; she was imprisoned and died in captivity at Keladi.

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What was Louisa May Alcott best known for? How Little Women became big?

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is a semi-autobiographical American coming-of-age story about four sisters. A critique of the unrealistic perception of blissful female domesticity, this novel has never once been out of print since it was first published in 1868, and has even been adapted for the big screen seven times to date. Let’s revisit the classic and look at what makes it relevant even today.

About the author

Louisa May Alcott was the second of four daughters born to Amos Bronson Alcott and Abigail May on November 29, 1839. Her father was an autodidact, which means he taught himself how to read and write. He eventually became a progressive educator and founded the temple school, where he introduced subjects such as art music nature studies, and physical education into the curriculum, in the hope of providing holistic education to the students. However, the school was shut down as most parents at the time were neither familiar nor happy with these subjects. Bronson Alcott’s unconventional teaching methods were the reasons why he could never establish a steady source of income and brought his family to the verge of poverty.

Growing up, Louisa’s way of thinking was not only shaped by her father’s teaching but also by close interactions with his friends, American authors Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, whom the family befriended upon moving to Concord.

Distressed by her family’s financial status, 15-year-old Louisa wrote in her diary “I will do something by and by. Don’t care what, teach, sew, act, write anything to help the family and I’ll be rich and famous and happy before I die, see if I won’t. And she was able to fulfil this, thanks to the massive success of her semi-autobiographical novel Little Women, which was initially published in two parts Little Women (1868) and The Good Wives (1869).

Fortunate accidents

Louisa May Alcott never wanted to write Little Women, as it went against all of her impulses to be taken seriously as a writer and an equal to her male contemporaries but ended up penning the iconic story as a consequence of a series of fortunate accidents.

She was 36 years old and had already published a few books under the pen name A.M. Barnard when her publisher Thomas Niles insisted that her next novel should be about the domestic sphere and cater to young women. Enticing her further, Niles suggested that he would willingly Mr Alcott’s philosophy book too if Louisa agreed to this.

Just for the sake of her father, she agreed and wrote what would become her most celebrated book in a 10-week flurry, drawing from her own childhood experiences.

Little Women

The novel chronicles the lives of the Four March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as they grow up during the American Civil War, wrestling with the limitations placed on women in the 19th Century. It critiques how women are forced to make cruelly imposed compromises between self-fulfilment and economic and social necessity.

What makes it a classic?

The blueprint of a family

This work of children’s fiction has a didactic tone that sets it apart from most of the literature that appeared before it. Louisa’s realistic characters and sentimental themes explore how social reform must start at home. Little Women functions as a blueprint of what it takes to have a healthy relationship with your family. Although the story is set in the tumultuous background of the civil war and the scarlet fever outbreak, the connection that the flawed and vulnerable March sisters have and share with the people that surround them is what makes them more life-like, relatable, and relevant. The book celebrates their diverse takes on difficult situations, individual struggles with poverty, and different aspirations in life, highlighting how no two individuals can be the same even if they are raised under the same roof with the same resources.

The matriarch

Through the strong and self-reliant character of Marmee, the author challenges the prevailing assumptions of 19th Century society that saw women as domestic goddesses that were best kept indoors tending to every need of the family.

Marmee is a source of awe and inspiration to her children, who have witnessed her single-handedly manage the household and make a living while their father is away at war. Her unconventional way of thinking, which suggests self-respect, peace, and true love must hold more importance than money and even marriage, motivates her daughters to dream big and accomplish more in their lives.

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An interview of young achiever Fariya Maryam (founder of Project Inclusion and Ayka – For The People)

Meet Fariya Maryam from Gurgaon, Haryana, founder of Project Inclusion and Ayka – For The People. These organisations have been working through art, volunteers, and workshops to help less privileged people in areas such as education, mental health, mentrual health, etc.

How did you embark on a journey of social work?

I’ve been interested in social work from a young age and excited about starting something new. It just so happened that started pursuing my interests in Class XI, during the pandemic. It all started with Project Inclusion, which I launched to raise awareness about mental health and neurodiversity. I think it was the pressure and mental health issues affecting so many people in the pandemic that pushed me to do something about it. I decided to make this a priority and started organising weekly support groups to help people deal with their mental pressures. Then, I started connecting with people with similar interests to broaden my initiative. Expanding my interests and skills in social work led me to start Ayka – For The People, an organisation that aspires to provide skill development opportunities and access to holistic education to less privileged children. We started with painting murals in rural areas and organising nationwide donation drives for the less privileged. Furthermore, I took a lot of interest in teaching subjects such as Maths and English. The progress the students made motivated me to continue my journey.

Tell us about your non-profit organisation. What kind of impact does it hope to create?

I founded Project Inclusion in 2020 with the aim of destigmatising mental health issues. We have been raising awareness about autism and learning disorders such as dyslexia, and for the last two years been working round the clock to provide free, accessible mental health resources to all strata of society. We offer weekly workshops on anxiety, depression, and stress, and have taken up the responsibility to connect a person in dire need of help with a mental health professional for a fee. Apart from that, we’ve been educating less privileged children about mental health to deal with the pressure of examinations, bullying, etc., and less privileged women about Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), a topic that menstrual hygiene workshops often don’t cover. So our central aim is to educate people on significantly downplayed but important topics.

How do you perceive art?

Calling art a medium of expression is an understatement. It is the means through which you get the freedom to make something of your will and show it to a large audience. It’s open to interpretation, that’s the most unique thing about art that I love. I think my art is rebellious in the sense that I have made it my aim to break stereotypes and prejudices against marginalised groups of society. I believe that art has a voice of its own and I love raising awareness through art. I understand that my art may seem provocative, but that is not my intention.

What made you start Ayka – For The People.

I started Ayka when I was 15. I was painting the walls at my grandmother’s in Jamshedpur, and our domestic help watched it in awe and wanted me to paint her house. Then, as word spread about the basic flower design I had painted, more and more people approached me to paint their walls. I started painting in several houses and then moved on to local schools wherein I created art on social and environmental issues. I also brought together a community of art students. We started painting murals and then went on to focus on improving the quality of education for less privileged children. We wanted to cultivate in students a sense of creativity. We started organising lessons on communication, art, and general knowledge. We are now around 500 people across the country, and have five branches: Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Bengaluru. So far, we’ve completed 50 wall paintings and a plethora of workshops. We are passionate about what we do. I believe when you start enjoying social work, the difference you can make is huge.

Any tips for fellow teens to keep a check on their mental health?

I’m not a professional, but I can share my experience. I think if you’re not taking care of your mental health, then you’re jeopardising your future. When I didn’t pay heed to mental health, my productivity was plummeting. But mental well-being is not all that complex. It could be as simple as going out for a walk, taking care of a plant, or practising meditation and mindfulness. These things may come off as silly for teens, but trust me, they are important.

What are your future plans?

I’m planning to pursue a degree in health sciences followed by an MBA. I want to work on developing innovative and robust solutions to deal with mental health illnesses, and I think taking up an interdisciplinary subject that explores psychology, biology, and health will certainly help me in achieving my goals.

How do you manage your time?

I am always doing something or the other. I have a habit of writing down any pending tasks and completing them one by one until I’m done with all of them. I work when I have random bursts of energy and motivation, and do not prefer a timetable-like approach.

If there is something you’d like to change in society, what would that be?

Gende stereotypes. I want to break the patriarchal social construct in India. I think discrimination would never end but improvement is certainly possible through the younger generations. All genders must fight stereotypes together for the well-being of humanity. Many people think awareness campaigns on mental health wouldn’t bring tangible results, but I think otherwise. I’ve helped many people who didn’t even know they were struggling, and I would say mental health awareness has been instrumental in their ongoing recovery.

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Who was Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay ?

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was the first woman in India to run for political office, when she competed for a seat in the Madras Legislative Assembly in 1926, losing by a mere 55 votes. A freedom fighter, actor, writer and social reformer, she was the driving force behind the renaissance of Indian theatre, handicrafts and handlooms in independent India. She is known as “Hathkargha Maa’ for her work in the handloom sector to uplift the socio economic status of Indian women. Making it fashionable to wear handspun sarees and adorn homes with traditional handicrafts, the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awardee set up iconic institutions like the National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Central Cottage Industries Emporium and the Crafts Council of India.

Kamaladevi was also a key figure in the international socialist feminist movement. From the late 1920s to the 1940s and beyond, Kamaladevi became an emissary for Indian women and political independence. She also advocated transnational causes – such as racism and political and economic equity between nations. She also attended the International Alliance of Women in Berlin in 1929.

Born in a Saraswat Brahmin community of Mangalore, Kamaladevi was greatly inspired by Gandhian ideas and the concept of non-violence. Much of it can be attributed to her upbringing. Her parents were progressive thinkers and involved in the freedom struggle of the era. Her mother was chiefly responsible for her scholarly upbringing after Kamaladevi lost her father at an early age. Her grandmother was known to have challenged the limitations placed on widows and continued her pursuit of knowledge and independent living.

Her first chance with politics came at the home of her maternal uncle. A notable social reformer, his house was throged by eminent lawyers, political luminaries, and public figures, among them Gopalkrishna Gokhale, Srinivasa Sastri, Pandita Ramabai, and Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru. By 1923, Kamaladevi, following the footsteps of Gandhi, enrolled herself in the nationalist struggle as a member of the Congress party. Three years later, she had the unique distinction of being the first woman in India to run for political office. Kamaladevi competed for a seat in the Madras Legislative Assembly and lost by a mere 55 votes.

Even though she was a strong advocate of Salt Satyagraha, she differed with Gandhi’s decision to exclude women in the march. Though Kamaladevi was charged with violation of the salt laws and sentenced to a prison term, she captured the nation’s attention when, in a scuffle over the Congress flag, she clung to it tenaciously. At the same time, Kamaladevi was establishing political links outside India too. In 1926, she met the Irish-Indian suffragette Margaret Cousins, who founded the All India Women’s Conference and remained its president until Kamaladevi assumed that role in 1936. She was a great author too and her first writings on the rights of women in India date to 1929. One of her last books, Indian Women’s Battle for Freedom, was published in 1982.

An interesting fact that many are unaware of is the role Kamaladevi played in giving birth to present Faridabad. As the founding leader of the Indian Cooperative Union (ICU), she took upon the job to resettle nearly 50,000 Pathans from the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in the wake of the post-Partition migrations. Apart from her contribution in handicrafts, she also set up the Indian National Theatre (INT) in 1944, what we today know as National School of Drama. It was a movement to recognise and celebrate indigenous modes of performance like dance, folklore, and mushairas and help the freedom struggle.

Credit : Indian express

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WHAT IS ENID BLYTON KNOWN FOR?

Enid Blyton was such a prolific writer that her work provided enough material for the hungriest reader. She has authored over 700 books, starting from 1922 when she was about 25 years old. She did not put down her pen till her death in 1968 and some of her work has even been published posthumously.

Although wildly popular, her works have had a large share of criticism as well. Some of her critics have called her books racist, gender insensitive and stereotyped.

Be that as it may, she is a household name in many parts of the world, particularly in countries that were once colonised by the British.

Her ideas of what made for a good and upstanding child in faraway England is what I and many others like me followed.

Growing appetite

The appetite for books that Blyton could produce was immense. Her short stories were a great starting point. They introduced us to pixies and fairies. We could then progress to the Secret Seven series, which served as chapter books that were short enough to complete in a week. For the ardent mystery fan, there were many other series that waited such as The Famous Five, The Secret series, The Adventure series and The Five Find-Outers.

Because Blyton wrote so many books, there were those who said she had a team of “ghost-writers” who would pen the novels under her name. But she always denied the charge and continued producing more.

The stories were comforting in nature, in an all’s well that end’s well fashion. Because of the fairly simple plots and the formulaic style of her books, she may not have been considered a literary success. However, she remains among the best-selling children’s authors even today. Her work has been translated into 90 languages and her books have sold over 600 million copies.

Perhaps it is that feeling of comfort-right from the large, wholesome meals that her characters ate to the carefree freedom that they enjoyed that leaves her readers asking for more.

Did you know?

There is an Enid Blyton Society that was founded in 1995. The aim of the Society is to provide a focal point for collectors and enthusiasts of Enid Blyton through its magazine The Enid Blyton Society Journal, issued three times a year, organise its annual Enid Blyton Day, an event which attracts in excess of a hundred members, and run its website (enidblytonsociety.co.uk)

Hachette UK has the world rights to the literary estate of Enid Blyton, excluding her best known series, Noddy. Blyton’s work is overseen by Hachette’s Hodder children’s imprint.

Blyton’s classic children’s book The Faraway Tree’ is being rewritten to include lessons about gender sensitivity. Writer Jacqueline Wilson will be writing a new version of the classic adventure story to update it for the 21st century.

An Enid Blyton fan has actually written a book with 42 recipes based on the books. Jolly Good Food’ is authored by Allegra McEvedy with illustrations by Mark Beech.

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WHO WAS AMELIA EARHART?

Amelia Earhart was an American aviator who set many flying records and championed the advancement of women in aviation. She became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and the first person ever to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland.

Amelia Earhart didn’t flinch. The 21-year-old was attending an air show in Canada in 1918 when a stunt plane dived right toward her. But instead of running out of the way, she faced the plane down  hat wasn’t Earhart’s only brave moment. Born in Kansas on July 24, 1897, she volunteered during World War I starting in 1917, treating wounded Canadian soldiers returning from the European battlefields. Nearby were pilot practice fields, where she discovered her passion for flying.

“…decide…whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying…” said Amelia Earhart, and she lived her life based on her own words. As a child, she was known for her fierce independence, quite uncommon for girls of the era, and was full of adventure traits that would immortalise her, well after her death.

Ironically, when Earhart saw her first aircraft at the lowa State Fair in Des Moines, as a 10-year-old, her father tried to pique his daughters’ interest in taking their first flight. However, one look at the rickety thing and all she wanted to do was return to her merry-go-round for she found the plane to be “a thing of rusty wire and wood and not at all interesting”.

However, it seemed she was destined to take to the skies one way or the other for, when she was 23, on December 28, 1920, she and her father attended an aerial meet at Daugherty Field in Long Beach, California. After inquiring about flying lessons, she was booked for a passenger flight the following day, and the cost was $10 for a 10-minute flight with Frank Hawks. That ride changed her life forever, and in her book, Last Flight, she reveals how. “By the time I had got two or three hundred feet off the ground, I knew I had to fly.” Not too long after, she bought The Canary, her first plane, a second-hand yellow Kinner Airster.

Take off

On May 16, 1923, Earhart became the 16th woman in the U.S., to be issued a pilot’s license by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Soon after, a series of events led her to live in Medford, Massachusetts. Her interest in aviation strong as ever, she became a member of the American Aeronautical Society’s Boston chapter and was eventually elected its vice president. She also flew the first official flight out of Dennison Airport in 1927. She donned multiple hats as she penned local newspaper columns promoting flying. And as her interest grew, so did her fame. =

Then, in 1928, Earhart received a phone call from Capt. Hilton H. Railey, who asked her if she was interested in flying the Atlantic. Later, that year, she I was a passenger on a transatlantic flight and became the first woman to do so. Four years later, she set off on her own from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, to Paris. Though she landed in Ireland instead, because of weather conditions and mechanical failure, she was instrumental in setting two records she became the first woman and the second person to fly solo across the Atlantic. For this, she was awarded a gold medal from the National Geographic Society, presented by Herbert Hoover, then U.S. President.

In 1935, she added another feather to her cap, another first to her list of achievements –she became the first person to fly from Hawaii to the American mainland, thus, also becoming the first person to fly solo over the Pacific and consequently, the first to fly solo over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Final flight

Nowhere close to being done, in June 1937, she set forth on a J mission to circumnavigate the earth by air. In short, she aimed to fly around the world at the equator and thus become the first woman in the world to do so. With her new plane, Lockheed Electra, 39-year-old Earhart set off on the journey from Miami, the US, along with her navigator Fred Noonan After multiple stops along the way, including Karachi and Calcutta, on June 29, they landed in Lae, Papua New Guinea, with just 7,000 miles left in their journey, after which they took off on July 2 for Howland Island, about 2.500 miles from Lae. It was deemed the most challenging leg of their trip.

However, after a run-in with inclement weather and fading radio transmissions, all contact with the Electra was lost, for, the plane carrying Amelia and Noonan vanished. Search efforts went on till 1939, within which time, multiple speculations and theories had arisen about her disappearance. However, on January 5, 1939, Earhart was declared dead.

Earhart’s impact on women’s rights was unmissable, and throughout her life, she doggedly represented what she thought women ought to do and stand for. In 1935, she was an advisor to aeronautical engineering and a career counsellor to female students, at Purdue University. She was also a member of the National Woman’s Party and an early supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment. She remained an inspiration for women, silently motivating them to fly high, literally, and otherwise, while she lived, and much later too, decades after her death.

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WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA OF ‘FREEDOM OR DEATH’ SPEECH?

Emmeline Pankhurst was an English political activist and a leading figure in the suffrage movement in Great Britain. Her tireless campaigning in the face of police brutality and failing personal health made her an icon of British politics. Let us look at one of her most influential public addresses titled, “Freedom or Death”

On November 13, 1913, British activist Emmeline Pankhurst gave one of the most influential speeches of the suffragette movement titled, Freedom or Death” at a meeting of the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association in Hartford, Connecticut. U.S.

On this day, the founder of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) took the stage to argue that women’s liberation could only be achieved by civil war.

Sign of the times

One of the greatest political changes of the 20th Century was obtaining the vote for women; but behind this accomplishment lay decades of refusals by successive governments.

The long-standing campaign for women’s suffrage began in 1865 but when years of peaceful protest and innumerable petitions failed to translate into political change, women took to the streets to rally for their right to vote. It was during this time that Emmeline Pankhurst. along with her daughters Christabel and Sylvia, came up with a public campaign of engagement and spectacle to gain media attention change public opinion, and influence the Parliament through (their motto) deeds and not words.

Freedom or Death

In her 1913 speech, Pankhurst addressed herself as a soldier on leave from the battle, since she was temporarily relieved from her prison sentence on account of what was popularly called the “cat and mouse act”

But her failing health could not derail her from utilising this occasion to speak on the need to fight against the injustices perpetrated on women by society. At the time working women she explained, were earning a meagre amount of two dollars a week: wives had no right on their husband’s property and no legal say in the upbringing of their children. Girls were seen as marriageable at the age of 12 and divorce was considered to be an act against God: violence and assault on women rarely received any significant penalty, and above all, there was no legal framework that represented their gender in the constitutional setup. In this political environment, the right to vote, she insisted, was the first step towards getting political equality and attaining full citizenship.

The path to militancy Justifying the rise of the self-proclaimed militant suffragettes, she proclaimed “you cannot make omelettes without breaking eggs” The double standard of the society that reveres men as the harbinger of change and women as creatures to be domesticated has forced us down this road. The history of politics is a testament to the fact that one has to be more noisy” and disruptive to gain the media’s attention and see their grievances addressed.

Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act 1913

This 1913 law, also known as the cat and mouse act, was especially passed to suppress the women’s movement and allowed for the early release of prisoners who were so weakened by partaking in hunger strikes that they were on the verge of dying. Addressing this legislative move by the Government, she said “There are women lying at death’s door… who have not given in and won’t give in… they are being carried from their sick beds on stretchers into meetings. They are too weak to speak, but they go amongst their fellow workers just to show that their spirits are unquenched and that their spirit is alive, and they mean to go on as long as life lasts…either women are to be killed or women are to have the vote.” (excerpt from Freedom or Death)

World War-l

Less than a year after this speech World War I broke out. The government released all imprisoned suffragists to join the workforce and support the war effort. It was only after the Representation of the People Act was passed in 1918 that property-owning British women over 30 were granted the right to vote.

Key takeaways from the speech

  1. One must never hesitate to fight for social good.
  2.  Women’s rights are human rights.
  3.  Equality is the soul of liberty.
  4. It takes courage to challenge the familiar and resilience to succeed.
  5.  Actions hold more meaning than words.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • The colour scheme for the Suffragette movement was purple, white and green which stood for dignity purity and fertility.
  • Pank-a-Squith was a pro women’s suffrage board game created by WSPU in the early 1900s. The game’s goal was to avoid all the pitfalls of suffragette life and get the right to vote.
  • The Museum of London holds the diary entries, letters and sketchbooks written on toilet paper, passed between imprisoned suffragettes and eventually smuggled out of the prison building.

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WHO IS MALALA YOUSAFZAI AND WHY IS SHE FAMOUS?

Malala Yousafzai, (born July 12, 1997, Mingora, Swat valley, Pakistan), Pakistani activist who, while a teenager, spoke out publicly against the prohibition on the education of girls that was imposed by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP; sometimes called Pakistani Taliban).

October 9, 2012, was a day like any other, when a group of young girls were on their bus ride back home, in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, after an exam at school. They were unwinding on the ride, like every other student after an exam. Chit-chat and laughter filled the bus until terror struck. A masked gunman onboarded, and even before the girls could gather themselves and overcome their initial shock, he shouted, “Which one of you is Malala? Speak up, otherwise I will shoot you all.”

Upon being identified, a 15-year-old was shot at While two others were wounded in the shooting, it was the former who was most affected. She was Malala Yousafzai, and had been shot for constantly speaking up for the education rights of girls in the Valley, and opposing the Taliban’s draconian rules and their acts of destroying schools and obstructing eduction. It is in honour of this fierce. courageous teen that the United Nations declared July 12. her birthday, as International Malala Day, in 2013, on her 16th birthday, when she spoke at the UN to call for worldwide access to education.

Early days

Daughter of education activist Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala had grown up knowing the importance of education. She was further inspired by the twice-elected Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and started speaking about education rights as early as September 2008, when she was just 11.

However, Malala’s first step towards fame came in late 2008, when BBC Urdu website’s Aamer Ahmed Khan and his colleagues, zeroed in on a novel way to cover Pakistani Taliban’s growing sway in Swat. They decided to ask a schoolgirl to blog anonymously about her life there. Their Peshawar correspondent, who had been in touch with a local school teacher, Ziauddin Yousafzai, could not find any students willing to report, as their families deemed it dangerous. Finally, he suggested that his own daughter, 11-year-old Malal do it, and on January 3, 2009, her first entry was posted on the BBC Urdu blog. Later, that year, she and her father were approached by a New York Times reporter for a documentary, and interviews on several news channels. By the end of 2009. her BBC blogging identity was revealed.

Danger brews

As her fame rose, so did the imminent jeopardy to her life. Death threats against her were published in newspapers, slipped under her door, and posted on Facebook. It culminated in the attack in October 2012. She was airlifted to the military hospital in Peshawar, then moved to Rawalpindi’s Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, and finally to the UK’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where she underwent surgeries.

Whilst convalescing in hospital, on October 15 2012. UN Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown, the former British Prime Minister, visited her and launched a petition in her name and “in support of what Malala fought for”. Under the slogan I am Malala, its main demand was that there be no child left out of school by 2015.

Youngest Nobel laureate

She was discharged from the hospital on January 3, 2013, and continued with her activism soon after. In October 2014, along with Indian children’s rights activist Kailash Vidyarthi, she was announced as the co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, for her struggle against the suppression of children and young people, and for the right of all children to education. At 17, she became the youngest Nobel laureate, and the second Pakistani to receive a Nobel Prize after Physics laureate Abdus Salam, in 1979. Today, she continues to serve the cause of education and work towards what she truly believes.

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WHO IS LAKSHMI MENON?

Lakshmi Menon, an Ernakulam-based social entrepreneur and designer, has fashioned eco-friendly mattresses for COVID-19 patients from PPE scrap material.

When Lakshmi Menon saw a poor family sleeping on the bare ground, she decided to do something to help the needy. In March 2020, she conceived the idea of shayya mattresses made out of tailoring scrap.

PPE to the rescue

As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country, hospitals and First-Line Treatment Centres (FLTCS) in Kerala struggled to provide enough beds for patients. Mattresses became the need of the hour, each one costing between 500-700. When Lakshmi called up tailoring units for scrap to make shayyas, she discovered that they had switched to making personal protective equipment (PPE) suits for healthcare workers. A lot of scrap material is generated while making these suits. As it contains small amounts of plastic, it can be disposed of or recycled by a professional agency only something that many tailors cannot afford. So, they would get rid of the scrap by burning it, causing air pollution. Lakshmi then decided to create shayyas from PPE scrap.

These mattresses are easy to make, requiring no stitching. The scraps are braided together and arranged in a zigzag manner before their ends are tied together with scrap cloth. The resulting shayya is 1.8 m (6 ft) long and 0.7 m (2.5 ft) wide. Unlike a regular mattress, which is difficult to disinfect, it can be washed with soap and reused.

Jobs for local women

Lakshmi employs around 20 local women who had become jobless during the lockdown. Each woman makes one shayya a day, for which she is paid 300. A shayya is sold at the same price to cover the labour charge. Around 700 shayyas have been donated so far.

Lakshmi’s innovative project addressed three major issues – waste management, job creation and the lack of bedding for patients. It has t been recognised by the United Nations in their list of best practices. To enable NGOs, students, etc. to replicate her model, Lakshmi provides them with online training.

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WHO WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN WOMAN TO WALK IN SPACE?

On June 18, 1983, Sally K. Ride was onboard the space shuttle Challenger for the STS-7 mission, thereby becoming the first American woman to go into space. Apart from making two space flights, Ride championed the cause of science education for children.

The first decades of space exploration was largely dominated by two countries the US and the Soviet Union This period is even referred to as the Space Race as the two Cold War adversaries pitted themselves: against each other to achieve superior spaceflight capabilities.

While the two countries were neck and neck in most aspects. the Soviets sent a woman to space much before the US. Even though Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space in June 1963, it was another 20 years before Sally Ride became the first American woman in space

Urged to explore

Ride was the older of two daughters born  to Carol Joyce Ride and Dale Ride. Even though her mother was a counsellor and her father a professor of political science. Ride credits them for fostering her interest in science by enabling her to explore from a very young age.

An athletic teenager, Ride loved sports such as tennis, running, volleyball, and softball. In fact, she attended Westlake School for Girls in Los Angeles on a partial tennis scholarship. She even tried her luck in professional tennis, before returning to California to attend Stanford University.

By 1973, Ride not only had a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics, but had also obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She got her Master of Science degree in 1975 and obtained her Ph.D. in Physics by 1978

Restriction removed

Having restricted astronaut qualification to men for decades,  NASA expanded astronaut selection with the advent of the space shuttle from only pilots to engineers and scientists, opening the doorway for women finally. Having seen an ad in a newspaper inviting women to apply for the astronaut programme Ride decided to give it a shot

Out of more than 8,000 applications, Ride became one of six women who were chosen as an astronaut candidate in January 1978. Spaceflight training began soon after and it included parachute jumping, water survival, weightlessness, radio communications, and navigation, among others. She was also involved in developing the robot arm used to deploy and retrieve satellites.

Ride served as part of the ground-support crew for STS-2 and STS-3 missions in November 1981 and March 1982. In April 1982, NASA announced that Ride would be part of the STS-7 crew, serving as a mission specialist in a five-member crew.

First American woman in space

On June 18, 1983, Ride became the first American woman in space. By the time the STS-7 mission was completed and the space shuttle Challenger returned to Earth on June 24, they had launched communications satellites for Canada and Indonesia. As an expert in the use of the shuttle’s robotic arm, Ride also helped deploy and retrieve a satellite in space using the robot arm.

Ride created history once again when she became the first American woman to travel to space a second time as part of the STS-41G in October 1984. During this nine-day mission, Ride employed the shuttle’s robotic arm to remove ice from the shuttle’s exterior and to also readjust a radar antenna. There could have even been a third, as she was supposed to join STS-61M, but that mission was cancelled following the 1986 Challenger disaster.

Even after her days of space travel were over, Ride was actively involved in influencing the space programme. When accident investigation boards were set up in response to two shuttle tragedies – Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003 Ride was a part of them both.

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WHO INDIAN AUTHOR WON THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE?

Geetanjali Shree has become the first Indian author to win the prestigious International Booker Prize for her “utterly original” Hindi novel “Tomb of Sand”, a family saga set in northern India about an 80-year-old woman who travels to Pakistan to confront the unresolved trauma of her teenage experiences of Partition and re-evaluates what it means to be a mother, a daughter, a woman and a feminist.

At a ceremony in London on Thursday, the 64-year-old New Delhi-based writer said she was “completely overwhelmed” with the “bolt from the blue” as she accepted her 50,000-pound prize, and shared it with the book’s English translator Daisy Rockwell. The prize is split between author and translator equally.

“Tomb of Sand”, originally “Ret Samadhi”, is set in northern India and follows an 80-year-old woman in a tale the Booker judges dubbed a “joyous cacophony” and an “irresistible novel”.

“I never dreamt of the Booker. I never thought I could. What a huge recognition, I’m amazed, delighted, honoured and humbled,” said Shree in her acceptance speech. “There is a melancholy satisfaction in the award going to it. ‘Ret Samadhi/Tomb of Sand’ is an elegy for the world we inhabit, a lasting energy that retains hope in the face of impending doom. The Booker will surely take it to many more people than it would have reached otherwise, that should do the book no harm,” she said.

Reflecting upon becoming the first work of fiction in Hindi to make the Booker cut, the author said it felt good to be the means of that happening. “But behind me and this book lies a rich and flourishing literary tradition in Hindi, and in other South Asian languages. World literature will be richer for knowing some of the finest writers in these languages. The vocabulary of life will increase from such an interaction,” she said.

Rockwell, a painter, writer and translator living in Vermont, US, joined her on stage to receive her award for translating the novel she described as a “love letter to the Hindi language”. “Ultimately, we were captivated by the power, the poignancy and the playfulness of ‘Tomb of Sand’, Geetanjali Shree’s polyphonic novel of identity and belonging, in Daisy Rockwell’s exuberant, coruscating translation,” said Frank Wynne, chair of the judging panel.

This is a luminous novel of India and Partition, but one whose spellbinding brio and fierce compassion weaves youth and age, male and female, family and nation into a kaleidoscopic whole,” he said.

The book’s 80-year-old protagonist, Ma, to her family’s consternation, insists on travelling to Pakistan, simultaneously confronting the unresolved trauma of her teenage experiences of Partition, and re-evaluating what it means to be a mother, a daughter, a woman, a feminist.

The Booker jury was impressed that rather than respond to tragedy with seriousness, Shree’s playful tone and exuberant wordplay resulted in a book that is “engaging. funny, and utterly original”, at the same time as being an urgent and timely protest against the destructive impact of borders and boundaries, whether between religions, countries, or genders.

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Who was the first blind and deaf person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree?

Helen Keller was the first deaf blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating from Radcliffe College, Massachusetts, in 1904. Her autobiography, The Story of My Life, written during her junior year at Radcliffe has been translated into 50 languages and remains in print to this day. She is remembered as an advocate for persons with disabilities, while her life story continues to be an inspiration to millions across the world.

Despite the fact Helen was virtually unable to communicate; her parents were determined to find a tutor for her because they believed she could learn. They finally met Anne Sullivan, and their hopes were fulfilled. Anne herself was partially blind, but she learned the manual alphabet while she was a student at the Institute.

Anne Sullivan taught Helen the manual alphabet by pressing the handshapes into Helen’s palm. Helen was soon able to read Braille and write with a special typewriter. Helen also eventually learned to speak by feeling Anne’s throat as she spoke and imitating the vibrations. Helen made history in 1904. She was the first deaf and blind person to graduate from college. She graduated from Radcliffe College with honors. Speaking about war, capital punishment, and child labor, Keller lectured all over the world for most of her life. As a champion for people with disabilities, she provided inspiration for those who might have otherwise lost hope.

Anne Sullivan was a constant companion to Helen until her death in 1936. At the age of eighty-eight, Helen died in 1968 in Westport, Connecticut.

Helen is truly an inspiration to all people–not just people with disabilities. She proves that anything can be accomplished through hard work, dedication, and faith.

Credit : Start ASL

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Who was Helen Brooke Taussig ?

Helen Brooke Taussig was an American cardiologist who is best known for her contributions to the treatment of “blue baby” syndrome. Helen Taussig was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1898. Taussig’s childhood was marred by several difficulties, including the death of her mother when Taussig was only 11 years old. Taussig struggled with severe dyslexia and partial deafness. However, these difficulties did not deter her from following her heart.

She earned a bachelors degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1921 and went on to study medicine from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and graduated in 1927. Taussig initially worked in the adult heart clinic run by Dr. Edward Perkins Carter. Recognising her abilities, Dr. Edwards Park offered Taussig a residency position in paediatric medicine. Two years later, Taussig was named the head of the paediatric cardiac clinic at the Harriet Lane Home of Johns Hopkins, a position she held until her retirement in 1963.

At 32 years old, Helen began to lose her hearing fully. Using stethoscope to listen to patients heartbeat became a challenge. Although she used hearing aids and lip reading to communicate with her patients, there wasn’t a good substitute for the standard stethoscope in the 1930s. Taussig learned to “listen” with her hands. She gently placed her fingers on a child’s chest and felt for murmurs. She became too good at it that she was able to identify and recognise common beat pattems in the malformed hearts of infant patients.

In the meantime, Taussig focussed her research on congenital heart defects – particularly the blue baby syndrome.” Blue baby syndrome is commonly caused by a congenital heart defect that reduces the amount of oxygenated blood being pumped throughout the body. Using fluoroscopy, Taussig observed that these children had decreased pulmonary blood flow to the lungs, which reduced the amount of blood available for oxygenation. Taussig proposed that creating an arterial patent ductus, or shunt, would alleviate the problem. Together with her colleagues Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas, she developed the Blalock-Taussig shunt, an artery-like tube designed to deliver oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart. Together, they successfully implanted Blalock-Taussig shunt on an infant in 1944. Soon she became widely recognised as a highly skilled physician.

She was awarded the Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and in 1965 Taussig became the first woman president of the American Heart Association. Taussig is also known for her work in banning thalidomide, a drug given to pregnant women that was later found to cause birth defects in the babies born to them.

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