Last month we caught up with CCTV news anchor and recent author Neela Eyunni at The British School of Beijing (Sanlitun capus). The American journalist answered questions from a Grade 5 class about her job and shared a bit about the first book of her new series, Cee Cee’s World Adventures: Beijing Bound. Eyunni sat down recently with beijingkids to tell us about the story behind her new series. See Eyunni’s conversation with BSB students here.
What inspired you to start the series?
There are a lot of things about Beijing that I love and wanted to share with other people, particularly children. A lot of expats write books about their China experiences, but I didn’t really see any for kids. Hopefully this will inspire them to come to Beijing or at least spark their interest in this place. It was also fun, but surprisingly tough, to get the chance to be really creative and do something much lighter than hard news. Finally, the book helped me remember why I live here in the first place and all the cool things about this city.
Do you have kids?
I don’t have any kids but my niece Desi who is almost four years old was actually one of my sources of inspiration for writing the book. I always talk to her on Skype and she is full of questions about China. She’s really curious, just like the main character Cee Cee.
Where will the next book in the series take place?
Cee Cee’s next adventure will take her to New Delhi, India. I’m half Indian and have travelled there a number of times. It’s important to me to write about a place that I have spent a decent amount of time in and really care about. I’m not interested in writing about a place through the eyes of a tourist or after reading a travel guide.
Cee Cee’s World Adventures: Beijing Bound is available on Amazon and is sold in select bookstores worldwide. Eyunni is also available for interviews, workshops, book signings, charity events, and other public appearances to promote her book. Click here to see a more information about the book or contact Eyunni directly. See below for contact information.
Email: contact@neelaeyunni.com
Photos: Neela Eyunni
