How important is it to read a physical copy of a book in the times of Kindle and E-Learning? What should children read while they grow up? Is there a difference between what girls and boys read? Asian Voice spoke to Sita Brahmachari, the Internationally multi-award winning author of twelve novels, short stories and plays.
In the age of Kindle, e-books, Audible, and digital publishing, what is the kind of paradigm you've observed when it comes to buying/reading books?
There are so many ways to enjoy stories but I don’t think hard copies of books will ever disappear. As people spend more time on line, they look for ways of experiencing stories off screen. We’ve seen during Covid how people have missed visiting bookshops and libraries. In recent years I’ve seen cafes opening up in bookshops and libraries because so many people love to sit among books and learning, drinking in , not only the coffee, but the feeling of potential and dreaming of all those undiscovered worlds yet to explore. For me there’s nothing like holding a book in my hands and turning that first page.
Tell us a bit about ‘When Secrets Set Sail’. What goes on in your mind when you write for children?
‘When Secrets Set Sail’ is an intergenerational story about two sisters discovering the history of a house in Hackney the downstairs of which was once a doctor’s surgery ( In the 1960’s) and is now a refugee drop in centre, while the upstairs is designed as a ship containing ancient wheels and anchors of journeys made throughout history.
Unbeknown to sisters Usha and Imtiaz the house was once The Ayah’s Home, run by missionaries to shelter the Indian and SE Asian nursemaids who brought the children of the British Raj back to schools and homes. They were often abandoned with no one paying their passage home.
Today, the spirits of these Ayahs now demand to have their history told. It is time. Eleven year old Imtiaz and Usha hear the ghosts of these Ayah’s whispering to them through the ear of a truth telling conch shell they find in the ‘top deck’ of their ship house – ‘ If you believe in me, set my voice free.’ So begins their quest!
As I write I think about how children are navigating the world today. I try to find a narrative that can give readers agency and a feeling of empowerment. The Children in my stories are brave and adventurous looking to solve some of the problems of the world and find empathy with each other. They are in search of honesty, trust and community spirit and in their questing they can teach the adult world a few things!
In your experience, what is the impetus and contribution of books in the lives of young girls?
Stories can present opportunities and adventures that may break some of the taboos in societies about the role of girls and women. They present role models and ideas to aspire to that may still not be the norm in many families and societies. Characters in my stories are inspired by reading about young women. Laila in ‘Tender Earth’ (Macmillan Children’s Books) is inspired by reading ‘Malala’s biography. Stories can be guides and forces for strength, support and empowerment. I think children today need them more than ever. There are many absences in the telling of the story of girls and women in history as there are many places still in the world today in which girls and women’s rights are not respected or protected. Placing stories in these hands can plant hope seeds for the future.
In continuation of the previous question, what’s your perspective on the unsaid fact that In our world, especially at a young age, what girls read and what boys read (or have access to) are two different stories altogether.
I’m a believer in the power of stories to engage and grow our empathy. It seems reductive to me to write stories for girls or boys. Access to stories is central for all children. So I am a great champion of libraries. I write for young people exploring their place in the world, the realities of what blocks potential as well as offering story arcs of hope and change. My protagonists both boys and girls, are in search of truth and facing the challenges that exist in the world today like inequality, racism and environmental threats.These are human struggles that go beyond whether we are born a girl or boy. In recent years I think there is a move away from stereotyping girls and boy’s fiction and instead towards exploring diverse ways that children want to explore their world and claim their own more fluid identities, not confined by the borders drawn by previous generations.
If you were to recommend five books that all children must read before they turn 10 - 11, what would they be and why?
I would not prescribe, though my dear late Dad Dr. A.K Brahmachari would have laughed to discover that two of my stories ‘Kite Spirit’ ( Macmillan Children’s Books) and ‘Worry Angels’ ( Barrington Stoke) have been chosen by The Reading Agency as ‘Books on Prescription’ that can help young people feel better about themselves and the world in which we live!
Here are 5 books that I’ve read either as a child or since that I think would appeal to many children up to age of 11 and help them to grow their imagination, global connection and sense of awe and magic at the wonders of the planet we share..
The Arrival - Shaun Tan
The Little Prince – Antoine St Exupery
Tales from India – Jamila Gavin
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou
Journey to Jo’burg – Beverley Naidoo