The Toymakers: Light from India’s Urban Poor
Non Fiction
A close look at the courage and creativity of toymakers who are a part of India’s army of street vendors.
Overview
The book which further explores the themes in Scharada’s essay The Bits and Pieces Artists which came second in the Outlook Picador Non-Fiction Contest 2001, this takes readers into the lives of men and women who are crafting objects from paper and cardboard, balloons and string, to bring joy to children. The toymaker is a part of the urban self-employed, who, by asserting himself/herself with their toys, resist being pushed into the category of invisible rural masses, battling disguised unemployment.
The Toymakers was written after meetings and travels with street vendors in 27 towns across India. It portrays, sometimes in stark terms, just how precarious the existence of these ingenious street vendors has become, and makes a case for supporting them with custom, design help and commitment by both, individuals and institutions.
