Here we have our Guest Author, Swarup Dayal sir, who has written this amazing book, "Roars In the Den." Our Founder and Editor in Chief, Palak Chauhan, ma'am, got a chance to interview sir so here is a little sneak peek from the interview.
Question -1: What inspired the concept of Roars in the Den, and how did the idea of the “den” evolve during the writing process?
Ans 1 - Roars in the Den was born from everyday moments with my younger child. Like many parents today, we were concerned about increasing screen time and wanted to bring our children back to imagination, conversation, and connection. What started as a simple nightly routine—telling bedtime stories—slowly became a sacred family ritual. Those quiet moments before sleep sparked the heart of this book.
The idea of the “den” came very naturally and playfully during this journey. While discussing possible titles, something beautiful happened at home. My younger one, in a moment of pure imagination, wrapped a blanket around me and declared that our bedroom was a “den.” He called himself a cub, his sibling another cub, and proudly named me the “Lion King.” He said the lion comes every night to the den to roar stories before the cubs sleep.
That innocent, magical moment stayed with me. The bedroom transformed from just a place to sleep into a safe space filled with warmth, stories, laughter, and values—just like a den. That’s when the title Roars in the Den felt inevitable. It perfectly captures the spirit of the book: stories that emerge from love, imagination, and a parent’s voice echoing gently in a child’s world.
Question 2: The book explores power and silence deeply. How do you personally define strength in the context of this story?
Ans 2- Answer: For me, the strength in Roars in the Den isn’t about being loud or powerful. It’s about staying calm, kind, and rooted in values even when no one is watching. Silence, in many stories, represents self-control and awareness. A character who doesn’t react impulsively but chooses patience—that’s real strength to me.
Question – 3: Many characters feel emotionally raw and realistic. Were any of them inspired by real-life experiences or observations?
Ans 3 - Of course. Every story we create comes from somewhere—from memories we’ve stored, things we’ve seen, heard, or felt at different points
in life. I believe imagination doesn’t start from nothing; it usually begins with a small spark drawn from real experience.
Many of the stories in Roars in the Den carry tiny inspirations from real life, which I then expanded into full narratives. For example, “The Silver Pen and a Teacher’s Hug” is inspired by a real incident from my childhood. I’ve added layers, emotion, and storytelling “masala” to transform it into a complete story, but the heart of it is real.
Some stories come from my experiences as a parent. “The Balloon That Blew the Budget” reflects my own playful way of learning how to say “no” to endless demands while still teaching values. “The Bookkeepers of Banyan Street” grew out of my childhood memories of running a tiny library with children from my colony.
There are many such moments across the book. The experiences may be small, but the intent is always the same—to take a real feeling or observation and transform it into a story that children can connect with emotionally. That process—turning inspiration into imagination—is how my mind naturally works as a storyteller.
Question -4: How did you balance psychological depth with narrative pacing while writing this book?
Ans 4 - Balancing psychological depth with narrative pacing was honestly one of the most challenging parts of writing this book. Until then, I had mostly written fictional love stories for adults, where you can afford slower layers, inner conflicts, and subtle emotional shifts. Writing for children required a completely different mindset.
Children are selective readers. They need to connect instantly. They are drawn to imagination—talking animals, kings and queens, magical kingdoms, and even trees and objects that feel alive. As adults, we sometimes dismiss these elements as nonsense, but for children, that very imagination is what creates curiosity and emotional entry into a story.
So I consciously had to step down from an adult lens and enter a child’s world. I focused on keeping the narrative playful, visual, and engaging, while letting the psychological depth sit gently beneath the surface. The emotions are there, but they are carried through action, humour, and imagination rather than heavy explanation.
I learned to keep the language simple, the pacing lively, and the imagination rich—because every story still carries a moral. The depth isn’t forced; it unfolds naturally as the child enjoys the journey. That balance— between meaning and momentum—is what shaped the storytelling style of Roars in the Den.
Question – 5: The story highlights internal conflicts as much as external ones. Why was this dual struggle important for you to portray?
Ans 5 - For me, external conflicts are easy to see, but internal conflicts are where real growth happens. Especially for children, the biggest battles aren’t always with others—they’re with fear, greed, jealousy, guilt, or self-doubt. I wanted the stories to reflect that truth.
In Roars in the Den, external events—like a mistake, a loss, or a challenge— act as triggers. But the real journey happens inside the character: deciding whether to tell the truth, to share, to be kind, or to stand firm. That inner decision is what shapes who they become.
I believe it’s important for children to recognise their own emotions and struggles, not feel ashamed of them, and understand that facing those feelings is part of growing up. When a child sees a character struggle internally and still chooses the right path, it quietly builds emotional strength and self-awareness.
So, the dual struggle matters because life works that way. The world may challenge us from the outside, but character is built by how we respond on the inside.
Question – 6: What message do you hope readers take away about survival and identity after finishing the book?
Ans 6 - I don’t usually set out to give a direct message. Instead, I see this book as an invitation.
If the reader is a parent, I hope the book encourages them to take the first step—just like I did. The next step is theirs. It doesn’t have to be creative or grand. It can be a simple childhood memory, a small incident, or a quiet conversation shared with their child. Those moments build values, boost a child’s emotional well-being, and bring families closer. In the end, it’s conversations that stay in a child’s memory—not the objects we buy for them.
If the reader is a child, I hope they understand why parents and storytellers share moral stories. It’s not just for entertainment. It’s to help them see themselves in the characters and gently shape their own identity—learning when to speak the truth, when to share, and when to help someone in need.
For generations, our ancestors used stories not as tools for fun or printing books, but as sparks to ignite emotional and psychological growth in young minds. That’s what I hope Roars in the Den does: quietly light that spark, and let it grow in its own way.
Question- 7: Did any particular scene challenge you emotionally or creatively while writing?
Ans 7 - Not one particular scene—almost every chapter challenged me, both emotionally and creatively. As I mentioned earlier, I was writing from an adult’s perspective, even though I hadn’t read children’s comics or stories for over a decade. Stepping back into that mindset required unlearning a lot.
I had to reconnect with the child I once was—how stories felt then, how imagination worked, and how emotions were expressed. At the same time, I had to acknowledge that today’s children are very different. They question more, observe deeply, and seek logic even within fantasy. That meant the stories had to be emotionally honest and structurally firm, not just imaginative.
Each chapter demanded a balance: keeping the language simple, the imagination alive, and the emotions relatable—while ensuring the values didn’t feel forced or outdated. The real challenge was making sure the stories could emotionally bond with a new generation of children and still hold their attention in today’s fast, questioning world.
Question – 8: How do you see Roars in the Den resonating with contemporary readers and modern power structures?
Ans 8 -
I think Roars in the Den resonates with contemporary readers because the idea of power has changed. Today, power isn’t only about authority or hierarchy—it’s also about influence, empathy, and emotional intelligence. Children grow up observing these dynamics very early, whether at school, at home, or through the world around them.
In the book, power rarely appears as something loud or dominating. Instead, it shows up in quieter forms—self-control, honesty, kindness, and the courage to stand by one’s values. These are qualities that matter deeply in modern life, where external pressure is constant, and voices are many.
The “den” itself represents a safe inner space—a place where identity is shaped before one steps into the larger world. When children feel secure and heard in that space, they learn to navigate power structures without losing themselves. Survival, then, isn’t about overpowering others, but about staying emotionally rooted.
For contemporary readers—both children and adults—the stories offer a reminder that real strength in today’s world comes from inner clarity and ethical choices, not from control or noise. And I think that’s why the book continues to feel relevant.
Question – 9: If the book were adapted into a visual medium, what elements would you want preserved at all costs?
Ans 9 - Having written stories for short films and dialogues, and having worked closely with direction teams, I understand how visual storytelling works. In fact, many stories in Roars in the Den naturally lend themselves to visual adaptation—the settings, characters, and situations are already very cinematic.
If there’s one element I would want preserved at all costs, it would be the tone of the characters’ voices. When a reader reads a story, they automatically create an inner visual world—the way a character speaks, pauses, reacts, or feels. That tone is established very early in the story, and each reader connects to it emotionally in their own way.
During a visual adaptation, characters may look different, settings may change slightly—but if the emotional tone and language shift, the soul of the story risks getting lost. The way a character speaks carries innocence, warmth, hesitation, or strength, and that directly shapes how the story is felt.
So, for me, preserving that emotional and linguistic tone—the voice the reader already hears in their mind—is far more important than visuals or scale. If that remains intact, the story will still feel true, even in a new medium.
Question – 10: What conversations do you hope this book sparks among readers and critics alike?
Ans 10 - I hope the book sparks conversations about how we speak to children—and how deeply they listen. For readers, especially parents, I hope it opens discussions about presence, storytelling, and emotional connection in a world that’s becoming increasingly distracted.
For children, I hope the stories encourage conversations about feelings, choices, and values—why honesty matters, why kindness isn’t weakness, and why silence can sometimes be stronger than noise. These are conversations that don’t need immediate answers, but ones that grow and deepen over time.
Among critics, I’d welcome discussions around the role of modern children’s literature—how simple narratives can still carry psychological depth, and how moral storytelling can exist without being instructional or heavy-handed.
If the book encourages even a small pause—where someone puts the book down and talks, reflects, or remembers—then I feel it has done its job.
The best stories don’t end on the last page—they begin a conversation.
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