Rashmi Sirdeshpande introduces her Diwali picture book, One Little Lamp
About Author
ReadingZone caught up with author Rashmi Sirdeshpande to explore her new picture book, One Little Lamp: A Diwali Story.
Rashmi Sirdeshpande is a lawyer-turned-storyteller. As a British Indian child, she didn't get to see many children like her in the books she read, so she is now passionate about writing stories that children from all backgrounds can relate to. Instagram: @rashmiwriting
Navya Raju is a Manchester-Hyderabad based illustrator who works on publishing, advertising and editorial projects. Her illustrations are influenced by architecture, cinema, literature, and pretty much everything that fascinates her. Instagram: @navyaraju.illustration
Interview
October 2026
Rashmi Sirdeshpande introduces her Diwali picture book, One Little Lamp
One Little Lamp is a story that introduces Diwali to children who might not know about the Hindu festival, and celebrates it with those who do. It introduces the stories, the gods and goddesses, that are celebrated within the festival, but also shares the sense of community and kindness that are an important part of Diwali.
ReadingZone spoke with author Rashmi Sirdeshpande to find out more about One Little Lamp: A Diwali Story, illustrated by Navya Raju and published by Andersen Press.
More about One Little Lamp: "A gentle, uplifting picture book that follows a single lamp as its light travels from person to person, showing how kindness grows when it is shared." - Reviewed by Louise for ReadingZone
Q&A with Rashmi Sirdeshpande: Learning about Diwali and community in One Little Lamp
I think children will find similarities across festivals - the charitable aspects, for instance, or the focus on light and food
and togetherness. There's something so beautiful about these things that cut across religions.
1. Thank you for joining us on ReadingZone to talk about your new picture book, One Little Lamp: A Diwali Story. How did you start to write picture books?
Thank you for inviting me and for featuring my and Navya's Diwali book! I started writing picture books after reading them with my children and seeing how beautiful and exciting and inclusive they are today. I love reading and writing all kinds of stories from big, funny ones to heartfelt lyrical ones. I love being able to do a real range.
2. What happens in One Little Lamp: A Diwali Story?
In this story, a little boy called Jai is super excited about Diwali but he notices that some people around him (an elderly neighbour and a new girl at school) aren't feeling quite so happy. So, he finds a way to include them in the celebrations.
Because this is a story about Diwali but it's also a story about empathy and loneliness, which is something I actually know a lot about. Feeling included and welcome can change everything.
3. Did your childhood memories of Diwali help inspire other aspects of the story? What were your favourite Diwali moments?
My own childhood memories are threaded through the book - paper lanterns, diyas, fairy lights and other little details, for instance. And that beautiful community aspect of celebrating Diwali as a diaspora family. I remember festive gatherings where everyone seemed to join in, no matter where they're from. Festivals (in all religions) are beautifully welcoming like that.
As for my favourite Diwali moments - I'd say SWEETS. Opening that box of freshly made barfi still makes me smile. And my father hanging up fairy lights!
4. Have you written One Little Lamp for families that celebrate Diwali, or as an introduction for those who don't know much about the festival?
Ahhh now THAT is an interesting question. Who do we write for? Like many other global majority writers, I write in layers. This book is for everyone. For children who are new to the festival and those that celebrate it.
Those who are familiar with it will find things they recognise and love and actually, they might still take something away from those pages at the end that describe different meanings and stories for the five days of Diwali (including across Hinduism, Sikhi, and Jainism).
In UK schools, Diwali tends to be associated with lamps lighting the path for Rama's return to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana. But different regions focus on different stories - this book, for instance, explores the story of Krishna and Satyabhama defeating Narakasura (which is a big focal point for celebrations in Goa, India, where I'm from!).
5. Other than learning more about Diwali, what would you like children to take from One Little Lamp?
I'd love children to be inspired to use empathy in their lives and to turn empathy into action - to notice how people around them might be feeling and what they might need and finding ways (however small) to make a difference.
6. You feature an outline of The Five Days of Diwali at the back of the book. Do you hope this might help prompt further exploration of Diwali and Hindu beliefs?
I think it'd be lovely if this story and the pages at the back can inspire conversations around empathy, community and festivals more broadly. I think children will find similarities across festivals - the charitable aspects, for instance, or the focus on light and food and togetherness. There's something so beautiful about these things that cut across religions. I'd love it if children could see just how connected we all are.
And of course, if they're interested in the stories at the back or threaded through the book, they might want to further explore Hindu mythology - it's a fascinating world of gods, goddesses, and other mythical beings. Lots of children love reading Greek/Norse mythology. I think they'd love this too and again, they'd find lots of interesting parallels.
7. Navya Raju's illustrations help bring your story to life. What do you enjoy the most about how she has approached illustrating One Little Lamp?
For me it's the tiniest details in her work. They're so authentic. I love the paper lanterns, the diya stands (we call this stand samai) and the Nataraja statue (a dancing form of Shiva, representing cosmic energy - did you know there's a giant one outside CERN (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research) in Switzerland ?).
8. What is your favourite moment, or spread, in the story?
I think it's Jai realising he just HAS to do something to help the new girl and his neighbour, who are both feeling down and left out. He's watching his family light a row of lamps and this idea that one little lamp can light another and another and another sparks a beautiful plan.
9. What are you most looking forward this Diwali?
Welllllll, it's like I said. SWEETS! And we'll be with my parents this Diwali so I'm hoping my father puts up fairy lights again like he did when I was little.
10. Which stories do you enjoy revisiting during Diwali? For children who aren't familiar with Hindu gods and goddesses, which stories do you recommend sharing with them?
So I mentioned earlier that the story that tend to be shared is the return of Rama to Ayodhya. But maybe explore some others. Day 3 of Diwali is such a big day and it honours and celebrates Lakshmi (goddess of wealth in the widest sense - e.g. knowledge is wealth too!). So look at story of the churning of the ocean of milk - this is where Lakshmi emerges from and it takes an epic combined effort of gods and demons.
Or explore the story of Krishna (an avatar of Vishnu) lifting Mount Govardhan. The idea behind it is beautiful - Krishna tells the people to worship nature instead of Indra, the king of the gods, because nature gives them everything. Indra is angered and sends thunderous rain, but Krishna lifts a mountain to protect the villagers.
Creative Challenge from Rashmi Sirdeshpande:
Share a special festival that you enjoy celebrating. You can write and/or draw and fill your page with all the little details you love.
Rashmi Sirdeshpande's School visits:
Yes, I love engaging with schools. I offer author talks at schools and online, but my calendar is busy, so please be patient with me! Online is much easier at the moment than in-person and I promise you'll still have a beautiful and very personal experience. The best way to contact me is through my events agency Authors Aloud.
One Little Lamp: A Diwali Story
