I received a small parcel in the post today. It contained 48 postcards of a pen and ink portrait of a girl with a lopsided smile and coin-like nostrils. She is wearing a stripy dress adorned with what look like rosettes and stars. The artist is my eight-year-old daughter Laila and the card has been printed by the charity, Cancer Research.
About six months ago, the charity approached a number of schools in London to participate in an art competition. The children were asked to submit pictures entitled, "I wish. . ." Of the 60,000 submissions just under 600 were selected for display at the Royal College of Art. Laila was one of the lucky entrants whose work was exhibited.
So on the day my husband, son and I marched proudly off to the RCA. The quality of work on view was astounding. Grouped in three sections according to age, the entries displayed not only imagination and wit but an amazing grasp of composition, colour, line and perspective. They also showed a high level of awareness. "I wish the world wasn't getting warmer," read one entry by a 5-7 year-old. Underneath was a picture of a very sweaty boy standing under a blazing sun. Another had wished for an end to the war in Iraq. His picture showed an exploding bomb and bodies flying through the air. But the ones that really caught my eye were the quirkier ones. There was a picture of a girl surrounded by golden trophies who had wished that she was "good at something". Anything! And then there was a forlorn looking girl sitting by herself on a grey wall. Behind her reared up another grey wall, dwarfing her completely. In tiny spidery handwriting she had written at the top of her picture, "I wish I had a friend."
And as for my own darling child who had drawn the smiling girl in a stripy dress -- she'd wished for a sister. Or so I thought, until my husband drew my attention to the caption again. When I re-read it I realised it said something entirely different: "I wish to have a sister."
On the way home, I informed her very gently that as far as my reproductive days were concerned, her younger brother was not a comma but a full stop. "Oh well," she replied unwrapping a chocolate bar, "it was worth a try!"
8 comments:
Hi Moni
This is Rahul, a journalist based in New Delhi. There is something I want to share with you. May I have your e-mail id? I blog at www.sanitysucks.blogspot.com.
Matanat,
I just thought to do a search on you on the Net. And voila! I am so chuffed to see your writing and I can hardly wait to read all of your "End of Innocence". Do get in touch.
Best regards.
From the only Chiagozie you know!
I AM ENJOYING YOUR DEBUT NOVEL AND CHARACTERISATION. The caste system, even in 1971 appears to be very restrictive. The personality of Sardar Begum is very strong and believable. Good luck for any furure novels, Moni. I shall look out for them! Jill Read
Dear Mohsin
I am contacting you from Culture Unplugged - a new media studio focused on enabling networks of socially/spiritually conscious content and its creators. With operations in India, USA, UK and New Zealand, we are dedicated to bring authentic voices of diverse cultures to global audiences. Voices that needs to be felt & understood, stories & films that connects people from different parts of the world. You can learn more about us at http://www.cultureunplugged.com/landing.php
We write to you to express/exchange regarding mutual opportunity for collaboration. We belive your voice can provide invaluable inspiration & vigor to our audience not only as a distinguished thinker and writer but also as a truth-seeker – in our definition.
We are in process of launching an online social media/network platform, for which we are looking for writers who wish to blog on socially and culturally relevant contemporary issues. Through this platform we intend to raise awareness of our audience - film-makers, film-lovers and conscious/global citizens. Audience for this platform will be similar to the size and growth of our other platform, which we have launched just 75 days back /www.cultureunplugged.com/index.php/ In short time, it has reached 150,000+ viewers, in 4500+ cities,165+ countries till date. (audience for this non-commercial, film-festival platform is doubling every 30 days). We are targeting same audience for the new platform we are about to launch, for which I will like to inquire if you can contribute to the blog on this platform.
We hope you find this an opportunity to publish/converse and connect with not only global audiences but also film-makers/artists/activists from transforming world-regions such as Asia & MiddleEast. We anticipate to begin long-term relationship with you through this opportunity and partner in effecting change to the world that is awaiting transformation through creative spirituality.
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nilankur
on behalf of,
Culture Unplugged Studios
www.cultureunplugged.com
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+91 020 65002520
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good to read you
Just finished The Diary of a Socialite Butterfly. Felt so much like writing in, but you haven'tbeen to your blog page in a while so dunno where to tell you how I felt about the whole experience and what it meant to me at the time i was reading it.....
Hi Moni
this is Rochelle.I have just completed reading your debut novel,and i must say,it is a wonderful book.it gives us a true insight into the happenings of 1971 Pakistan.All the best for your future novels.
With best regards,
Rochelle
It was wonderful to meet up with you again at Asia House last night and looking forward to your new book. Zaharah
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