Sister Library reads Sehri Tales: An evening of ‘Pink’ and ‘Digital’

As the sun set amidst the ongoing heatwave of Dhaka, enthusiastic writers and storytellers gathered at the Goethe-Institut in Dhanmondi. Their purpose was to enjoy an evening of stories and writings curated by Sehri Tales. Sister Library, in collaboration with Sehri Tales, hosted a writing prompt on two significant themes: 'Pink' and 'Digital'. A multitude of writings from all over Bangladesh, as well as some from Pakistan, poured in. And so, the event commenced with a promise of memorable tales about memory, femininity, modernity, identity, and more.

The evening began with a speech by Katerina Don, the co-founder and creative director of CholPori. She warmly welcomed everyone to the event while also introducing its premise to the audience. Afterwards, Sabrina Fatma Ahmed, the creator of Sehri Tales, was called on stage to talk about her project. Sabrina told the audience how this year's Sehri Tales was a bit different from previous years, as they moved away from Talespeople, a Facebook group where writers would typically post their works, to a more public forum as a result of the overwhelming response they got from enthusiastic writers. She drew out the 10 years she spent on this project, and later moved on to read two pieces she wrote from the prompts, 'Pink' and 'Digital'.

The moderator for the evening, Zaima Hamid Zoa, called several writers on stage, each of whom then presented their writings on the prompts. The writers' pieces captured the nuances of being a female online at this time and age, while also exploring other facets of femininity, such as women's difficult relationship with the colour pink and girlhood. They explored the dangers that women face online, as well as the ideological differences an individual feels from being chronically online. 

After the Bangladeshi writers were done reading their stories aloud, the Pakistani writers were connected via Google Meet to read their stories and poems. The first writer, Umar Ahmad, recited a poem on the prompt, 'Pink', while the second, Zara Asad, recited a poem dedicated to her best friend. Ammara Naeem, the third and final poet, read out her poem about the dichotomies of masculinity and femininity. 

The evening closed with a zine-making workshop, with the prompt "A Safe Space". Sabrina Fatma Ahmad commented that, ever since they had gone more public with Talespeople, female participants showed more reservations because they didn't feel safe enough to share their pieces on a public forum online. This sentiment was what prompted the subject matter of the zine-making workshop. The participants were given 10 minutes to elaborate on whatever a safe space meant to them, and the writings were stored to collectively be made into a zine that would be available at Sister Library's next event.

After the zine workshop, the evening drew to a close with delectable treats and coffee, while the audience members engaged in lively conversation. The event left everyone with a full heart and a personal objective: to write more, and to write more freely.

Tasnim Naz is an academician of English Literature at the Bangladesh University of Professionals. Her research interests are feminism, motherhood studies, and postcolonial studies. Reach her at [email protected].