Interview with Balaji, Author of Unlocked

Balaji Venkataramanan on Unlocked, a tender story of grandparents, childhood wonder, love, loss, and hope.
on Jul 11, 2026

Frontlist: Unlocked beautifully captures the bond between a child and a grandparent. What inspired you to tell this story, and was there a personal memory that sparked it?
Balaji: My father passed away a year ago. I thought why not view it in a slightly funny yet poignant light introducing a child.

Frontlist: Our issue is centered around "The Inner Life of Stories." What emotions or conversations did you hope Unlocked would open up between young readers and their families?
Balaji: I never hoped for anything while writing a story. I had a story a story to tell and I only tried to tell it in the best possible way. I thought a kid would draw his own conclusions on life reading about Snake and Ladders, the box of 'missing socks'. I only hoped for the kid to think about who might have opened the box at the end of the story.  

Frontlist: The book gently explores growing older, love, and vulnerability. How did you find the balance between addressing these themes honestly while keeping the story hopeful for children?
Balaji: Again, I didn’t think much. I just wrote and the story formed itself. I kept things simple for myself rather than thinking about how it would be taken etc.

Frontlist: Children often notice things that adults overlook. Did writing from a child's perspective change the way you looked at relationships or life itself?
Balaji: Umm, I don’t know. However, taking a child’s perspective makes you see things with hope and expectation no matter the situation.

Frontlist: Stories have a unique way of connecting generations. What do you think children can teach adults, and what can adults learn from the curiosity of children?
Balaji: Children teach us to not take ourselves seriously and to view the world with hope, enthusiasm and love.

Frontlist: Some stories stay with us because they come from a deeply personal place. Did writing Unlocked help you reflect on your own relationships or memories in a new way
Balaji: In a way it helped celebrate my father’s life rather than mourn his death.

Frontlist: The title Unlocked suggests opening something hidden. Beyond the story itself, what do you hope readers feel has been "unlocked" within themselves after reading the book?
Balaji: Well, I want to use the line from Forrest Gump “Life is like a box of Chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get”

I guess the readers also will understand the same applies to books as well.

Frontlist: If a child and their grandparent were to read Unlocked together, what's the one conversation you would hope it inspires once they turn the final page?
Balaji: Umm, let me quote one line from the book:

What do you want me Grandpa, when I grow big”

“A good person”