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EAST, WEST AND A LITTLE OF THE SOUTH
Robert and Smita's story
obert Arnett is from Columbus, Georgia. He has a Master's degree in History from Indiana University, USA. He studied at the University of Georgia, Tulane and the London School of Economics in the UK. He also spent two years in the United States Army, and was one of the youngest Commanding Officers in the Signal Corps, serving nineteen months in Turkey.
Smita Turakhia is a Jain mum from Lake Jackson in Texas and grew up in India. She loves to paint and loves children.
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She is a graduate of Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai, India and also studied fine arts for two years at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
They may not seem the most likely partnership, but somewhere between all these places and occupations Robert and Smita are establishing an important breakthrough in educating their part of the world about the culture of India. Robert has had a love affair with India for many years, resulting in the internationally acclaimed and multi-award-winning India Unveiled book, a collection of his photos. And it was at a book-signing that Arnett and Turakhia had a chance meeting in Houston. He had no idea that Smita was an artist but found her to be the perfect candidate to illustrate his new children's book Finders Keepers?, a tale which gives the young reader a tour of the colourful country. Since its release, Finders Keepers? has won four awards including The Independent Publisher Book Award's 'Ten Outstanding Books of the Year' and The Benjamin Franklin
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Silver Medal for the Best Multicultural Book of the Year.
As if this wasn't enough, the two were the main feature of a three-monthlong festival at the beginning of 2005, at the Columbus Museum. The Indo-US Cultural Association joined in with the Columbus Museum in an unprecedented partnership to host a series of events highlighting various aspects of India's wondrous cultural diversity. Robert presented a show to the attendees on the cultural diversity of India, using slides from India Unveiled, which was the official opening of the photo exhibit entitled Across India: Selected Photographs from India Unveiled.
The presentation was followed by book-signing by Robert and Smita for both books. The whole event was a huge success. The two are obviously enjoying their role as unlikely ambassadors for India. Read on for Jain Spirit's 60 second interview with each...
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