About Polly’s Piralympics by Jann Weeratunga
After discovering treasure — prosthetic arms, blades and racing wheelchairs, Captain Hake issues them to his crew. Soon, they share their treasure with other pirate crews and Polly, the parrot, invents the Piralympics — Paralympics for Pirates.
Events include, climb the rigging gymnastics, walk the plank diving, a MasterChef competition, a rowing event with a sinking feeling and a catapult-shooting event, which goes wrong. Find out why coconuts don’t make good footballs and follow the pirate chefs in their own MasterChef Competition, where are the sausages?
In true pirate fashion, they use gold doubloons as medals, sail in 18th Century ships (sailing ships, flags, muskets and swords), with 21st Century technology (lifts between decks, sonar, Wi-fi, Purpletooth, TV and the internet.) It includes cheating; comradeship; laughter and tears and how we all have a disability – e.g. one arm, no legs, one eye, can’t sing, can’t dance, can’t count, can’t spell or can’t cook and no one is perfect; it’s just that some disabilities are more obvious than others.
The book describes the comical situations that the six ships and their crews, coming from all over the world, find themselves in during the course of the week-long Piralympic games. Their ships and the pirate’s appearance signal them out e.g. Scottish pirates with kilts; Viking pirates with horned helmets and singing Abba songs; Maori pirates with tattooed faces. There are also pirates from South Africa, India and the USA.
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Author Bio:
Jann Weeratunga was born in 1963. She has lived and worked in London, UK: Sri Lanka: UAE and Bahrain. Currently, and currently lives in Johannesburg, South Africa with her four fur babies.
Primarily a children’s author she has written:
Polly’s Piralympics Series (Middle Grade)
How Polly Became a Pirate,
Polly Finds Treasure,
Polly’s Piralympics,
Polly’s Inuit Piralympics,
Polly’s Hogmanay Holiday,
Polly’s Rainy Day Piralympics
Polly Returns to Africa
Polly Saves Captain Kipper
The Toucane the Toucan Series (4-8 years)
These are colouring-in books with a story, song and activity included.
Toucane is Different,
Toucane and the Rubbish Rangers
Toucane Warns of Stranger Danger.
Sporting Magic Series – currently being re-written
The Magic Vuvuzela
Cricket Crazy
Tane’s Rugby Dream
Wonderful Wimbledon
The Henrietta the Hornbill Series (2-5 years)
We Don’t Push, Punch or Pinch
She is currently writing:
Polly’s Beach Piralympics
Polly’s Halloween Piralympics
Polly’s Lost Friends
Polly’s Activity Book
The Yogininis Series – 3 books written, titles and illustrations to be done – Set in the Middle East
The Falak the Falcon Series – started on the 1st book – set in the Middle East
Richard the Rhino Gets Lost in Africa – awaiting illustrations.
Her flagship – The Polly’s Piralympics Series was written and inspired by the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Paralympic Games. In his closing speech, Sir Phillip Craven told of how a young boy was reading with his mother. In the book, he saw a man with an eye patch, a hook for a hand, a parrot on his shoulder and a wooden leg. When asked who it was, he said: “Well he has only one leg, so he must be an Olympian.” Such was the strength of the London 2012 Paralympics that it changed peoples’ perceptions of disability forever. The speech made her both laugh and cry and gave her the inspiration for the Polly’s Piralympics Series of books which are both unique in concept as well as content and format – dealing with disabilities, bullying and cheating. The books also have a comprehension page at the end of each chapter, where the participants can answer questions and draw their own characters etc.
In March 2018 she set up the Schools Reading Road Show – an NPO – with the aim of improving literacy for pupils in the Primary Sector in South Africa. With her in this were Kim Hunter, Fatuma Abdullah, Cora and Evadeen Brickwood. They have visited schools, read to the learners and given motivational talks on anti-bullying and it’s ok to be different.
She has also addressed a Head Teachers Conference (Embrace) in 2018 and 2019; where she gave a workshop on the importance of reading. She gives workshops for YA pupils on how to write a book and participated on panels at the JBBF (Jozi Books and Blogs Festival) 2017/2018, South African Children’s Book Fair 2018 and Kingsmead Book Faire 2019 where she gave a presentation.
In March 2020, she ran the Bennies Book Fayre, the only dedicated Childrens and YA book Fayre in South Africa with over 65 authors, including 10 child authors.
Sometimes she needs a break from writing children’s books and enjoys writing short stories and poetry for adults, she has written under her Pen Name JE Gallery:
Echoes from the Forest 2018– a poetry book.
Ethereal – where she was one of 7 authors. Pub 2018 – light horror/dark fantasy. Nominated for Best African Anthology (by the African Speculative Fiction Society.
Angry Tears – an anthology of short stories (yet to be published).
Do You Dream in Colour – An Anthology of short stories (yet to be published).
Lockdown Behind the Mask 2020 – An anthology. Weeratunga lived in the Middle East and was always fascinated with the niqab, revealing only those beautiful eyes. When Lockdown happened, literally 5 days after she had run the Bennies Book Fayre, like everyone she was confused and a little afraid. She found it hard to focus on her children’s books and resorted to her go-to short stories. Looking about her she was inspired by the wearing of masks and it reminded her of her time spent living in the Middle East. She wanted to create an anthology of short stories with an Islamic signature, so decided to get other authors involved and approached Raashida Khan to come on board as a co-editor and send out for submissions.