Sister Library reads Sehri Tales
A writer's imagination is endless, but putting their vision on a paper is a challenge for many. This is an overwhelming task for budding writers who struggle to create their stories and need a boost. With that in mind, Sehri Tales started its journey in 2016 to guide new writers on their writing journey. The month-long writing sessions take place during Ramadan, when prompts are given through social media for any writer who wants to hone their skills.
For the second time, Talespeople, in association with Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, HerStory Foundation, and Sister Library, organised "Sister Library reads Sehri Tales". The aim of the event was to promote the vibrant tales written by female writers who participated in the Sehri Tales challenge this year. The best stories and poems were chosen from each prompt, allowing the budding writers to showcase their work to a wider audience.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. "Sehri Tales is a labour of love by Talespeople, who work very hard every year to bring this free event to its community of writers," said Sabrina Fatma Ahmad, the founder of Talespeople. "We are immensely grateful to all the people who have supported us—Goethe-Institut and Sister Library for giving us this live platform, our sponsors this year—Kraftz, Cookie Culture, and Fyruz Education Services, who generously sponsored gifts for the special challenges, and of course, our media partner for the fifth year running, The Daily Star."
Sister Library is a space for female writers and poets to exercise their creative expression and make room for constructive discussion. Together with Sehri Tales, 13 aspiring female writers read their stories and poems out loud, mesmerising the audience with their vibrant imagination. Some tales tickled our funny bones while others were critical analyses of the society we live in. The talented pool of writers had their unique takes on each prompt, demonstrating the versatility in their writing.
"We are really happy with this long-standing collaboration," said Franke Werner, director of Goethe-Institut Bangladesh. "What I really like the most about the event is the gravity of voices. One writer who reads a text offers many diverse styles and thoughts."
The session started with a short story narrated by Sabrina Fatma Ahmad. In her prompt, "August", she highlighted a vignette about a woman giving up on the wedding of her dreams.
"Reading poetry in front of everyone was a herculean task, but it was nice to see everyone's creative process," said Tasmia Qazi, a participant who presented her poem on the prompt, "Cube". "I was a Literature student, but now I'm studying a completely different subject. I miss literature and writing, so this was an excellent way to exercise those creative limbs again."
Under the prompt, "Tired", the prolific author Farah Ghuznavi told a poignant tale of a low-caste Hindu girl who was forced to enter prostitution, and her undying devotion for the goddess Kali.
Mirza Zohra wrote a comedy of errors under the prompt, "Seven". A family's life is momentarily turned upside down when their newly wed daughter-in-law runs away, leaving a note behind. The ensuing chaos and hilarious climax amused the audience, and it was one of the best stories of the night.
On the other hand, the same prompt resulted in a tearjerker, as Samanta Islam Sayma read her poem, "Crossing the Gates of Heaven", about a Palestinian boy who lost his family. At each gate of heaven, he questioned God about each of the members who were slaughtered by the Israeli forces. The resilience of the Palestinian people and their inherent faith in humanity was beautifully portrayed in the poem.
While some prompts were the same, the writers brought their own twists to the table. The writers' passion for several social causes was clear in the literary pieces, and there is no doubt that these are the foundation blocks for a new era of Bangladeshi literature. To support them, Sister Library is also providing several opportunities for aspiring writers.
"We are very excited to support young female writers," said Katerina Don, creative director of HerStory. "This year, we are focusing on self-publishing. Goethe-Institut is collecting a hundred new zines, which will be available in our library. Publishing is a very daunting task because of finding and working with publishers. To have a support system like the Sehri Tales group is fantastic, and we are very happy that Sister Library can be a part of this journey."
In the second half of the programme, the audience was asked to jot down two truths and a lie about themselves on a piece of paper. Then, they swapped the paper with a partner. Their partner's points became prompts, and the guests had to write a story using those three prompts. This was a fun challenge, and everyone was engrossed in creating their own tales.
"Sehri Tales always pulls me out of a creative block as I try to write a short story every single day," said Maisha Islam, whose prompt was "Flag". "This year has been a great experience, and I explored different styles and genres. I looked forward to the reading event to meet these people from the community and hear their tales. It's my favourite event of the year!"
Other participants at the event included Sumaiya Subah, Fahmida Sharmin, Sabina Chowdhury, Samanta Islam Sayma, Tarin Fatema, Mirza Zohra, Sadia Tasmia, Faiza Ramim, Tahseen Nower Prachi, and Marwa Kazi Mohammed.
At the end of the event, all the participants were given certificates from Goethe-Institut Bangladesh and HerStory for taking part in the event.
Tashnuva Sumaiya Islam loves to write historical and paranormal romances with funny twists. Follow her on Instagram @tea_tae93 or email her at tasnuva.i93@gmail.com.
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