Interview by Haylee Hackenberg
Sandhya Parappukkaran is the award-winning author of four picture books illustrated by Michelle Pereira and published by Bright Light – The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name, Amma’s Sari, Stay For Dinner and the recently released Words That Taste Like Home. Sandhya’s knack for creating an immersive cultural experience within a book is unmatched. Her stories elicit giggles, curiosity, awe and wonder in equal measure. I was honoured to speak to Sandhya about why she writes.
Your books tackle challenging subjects with a lot of heart and a touch of humour. What inspired you to write them?
Thank you for your kind words. Happy to hear you see a touch of humour in them! The topics I write about are things that have been swirling around in my head for most of my life. When I started writing, my lived migrant experience flowed onto the page. The themes in my books embody my story, and from reader feedback, I now know that they are not just mine, but the stories of many others as well.
Why are Own Voices books important for all of us, but particularly kids?
Reading any story is empowering. But when you read a story that has a main character you can relate to, the self-acceptance that comes from that is quietly and powerfully restorative. This healing is something I needed so much when growing up but couldn’t find. And if you don’t relate to the characters, you are handed the opportunity to consider perspectives you have never encountered before, and it makes previously unseen stories and sections of society visible. The empathy kids build up from reading own voice stories is boundless.
Congratulations on recently winning the prestigious Multicultural Award at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards for your book Stay for Dinner. What do you think it is about this particular book that has resonated so well with readers?
Thank you so much! It was such a thrill and a huge honour for our book. I think the friendship between the characters and their families looking out for each other really touched readers’ hearts. I’d like to quote a part of the judges’ comments here: “…while food and multiculturalism have long been fetishised as the domain of the ‘exotic’ and ‘other’, Stay for Dinner stands out as a work that masterfully avoids any such tropes.” What I love about that quote is that it affirms what our story sets out to do – normalise and celebrate differences. The burp is my favourite part of the story, and I think readers really enjoyed that too.
I’d love to know what books you think are missing from our shelves and what would you like to see more of?
There are so many diverse stories that make up the tapestry of our society that are yet to be told – the different celebrations, traditions, dance, music, art, and sports. I’d love to see all these stories celebrated as beautiful colourful picture books, junior fiction and middle-grade books.
Finally, if you choose to have written one book yourself that is already published, which would you pick?
I would choose Hooray Hooray it’s Library Day! by Julie Anne Grasso and Heath McKenzie. It is a delightful picture book that celebrates library days, told from the perspective of a book, waiting eagerly to be borrowed and read. I grew up as a library kid and libraries have been an important part of my life. It is a welcoming, friendly and safe space where I feel I can stay comfortably with no pressure. There were a couple of times in my life when I had no access to libraries, geographically. Those were some of the toughest times to get through without access to a wide range of books. As a young child and even as an adult, if we’re going to the library, I will say, ‘hooray, hooray it’s library day’!
