Writing from the heart and inspiring change
Onjali Q. Raúf is an author known for tackling difficult subjects in her books, shining a light on issues and offering hope through adventure. From The Boy at the Back of the Class (war, loss and asylum) to this year’s The Night Bus Hero (bullying and homelessness), and 2019’s The Star Outside my Window, which focuses on the aftermath of domestic abuse. Here she talks to Pen&inc. about being an inaugural winner of The Diverse Book Awards for The Star Outside My Window, her inspiration for writing and the power we all hold within us to make positive changes.
THE Diverse Book Awards were created by Abiola Bello and Helen Lewis (founders of the Author School and Hashtag Press), to recognise great stories and authors that celebrate diversity and inclusion. The first awards ceremony was held last year, and Onjali is the inaugural winner in the Best Children’s Book category. She describes the win as “utterly staggering,” adding: “It feels like such a serious, grown-up award for a children’s book to have won! It is truly an honour, especially for a book in which so many characters will have felt their voices to be excluded for reasons out of their control. I’ll be forever in awe of us all – the characters and through them myself, winning.” The Diverse Book Awards includes young judges, and Onjali says this makes the recognition even more special and reaffirms her reasons for writing. She says: “I think I would go so far as to say that moments like this go beyond gratifying – they strengthen the core of any author lucky enough to be a part of any awards that involve young people being the decision-makers. Oftentimes you send a book out into the world like a toddler who can barely walk, with no idea if they’ll survive for even a day out in the wilderness. So to have it be taken up by a
Spring-Summer 2021
world of young readers and not only read, but liked and perhaps even loved enough to be voted for in awards such as the DBAs, is beyond a dream’s dream. It’s a sign the baby is doing well enough for you to let go of the worry somewhat.”
Adventure and struggle And while all of Onjali’s books have adventure at their heart – a secret journey to meet the Queen, a cycle ride through the middle of the night – the reasons for these adventures are grounded in hardship. The Star Outside My Window has some difficult themes for children – the main characters are in foster care following a tragic event in their family life. However, Onjali’s willingness to write about difficult subjects demonstrates the faith she has in her audience.
She says: “We live in an age where our children are hyper-aware of everything that is going on in the world, and the urgency of so many of those happenings too. Whether it’s climate change or the refugee ‘crisis’ or racism, they know – and they have questions that need answering.
“Tragically, I truly believe it is on their young shoulders – the shoulders of our coming generations – that the full weight of immense traumas being created by
governments and leaders right now is going to land. It will be crucial for them to know why those traumas exist at all, if the solutions they are going to help forge are going to be in any way humane, kind and deeply understanding.
“I count myself incredibly lucky if the books help them gain any new insights, and get them asking questions that make them hungry enough to go out
PEN&INC. 7
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59
