Have you ever struggled to find that perfect gift for a loved one? A gift that will tell both how much you love them and how you remember little things about them? A gift that gains in value over time?

It was when I was wondering what to gift to my relatives in San Francisco, to celebrate the birth of their respective children, that the idea of Talered struck me—books with the parents’ stories shared as bedtime tales for the children. The idea is to create a book so personalized that another like it would not exist.

Since November 2020, Talered has created several books each telling a unique story. We offer both fiction as well as non-fiction styles of writing. Our books also come with completely customised illustrations so that you can be the star of your own story.

One of my favourite stories is that of Isha and the Mystery of the Missing Sparrows, gifted to seven-year-old Isha, who lives in Virginia, US. Her aunt wanted to give her a book that showed her various sights around Mumbai, introducing her to its animals and birds, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the Gateway of India. The book creates an adventure for Isha around these places, while having her rescue the sparrows she has become friends with. Another book, Koko Miyu and the Masala Contest, allows a family to recreate recipes that they remember their parents by.

A former journalist—I was the editor of Sunday mid-day, the weekend edition of Mumbai’s mid-day, until April 2021—I find my work experience as a great contributor towards this new venture. Our books have been gifted across age groups. Friends have gifted books to other friends and children have gifted books to their parents. We also do wedding books.

I conduct personal interviews with the clients, building a story with them. The visuals too are carefully constructed so that they represent the story perfectly. With so much detailing, the books can take anywhere between two weeks to a month to be made.

In addition to English, we can offer books in other languages if the client requires this. After all, your story needs to be told in your language.

If you want a personalized book, to gift to a loved one,we would love to make it for you. To connect with us log on to our website (www. talered. com) or send us an email at talered4you @ gmail.com...

Gitanjali Chandrasekharan- Founder, Talered