I’m so proud that The Line is finally officially out in the world. This book was written over four years ago when I was the University of Otago College of Education/Creative New Zealand Children’s Writer in Residence in 2022.
‘I would draw lines that would lasso us to our neighbours and keep us close for all time. I would draw lines that made us feel safe together.’
When a line divides the country of India, a little girl and her family are forced to leave their home. On her journey, the girl thinks about what she would do differently if she was in charge of a line with so much power. She would draw lines that brought people together, despite their differences. Her lines would make people friends. Her lines would make the world a better place.
This book is very close to my heart as the team at Scholastic brought together me, a British-Indian author, with British-Pakistani illustrator, Farah Shah, so the story represented voices from both sides of Partition. Farah’s beautiful illustrations help handle the subject matter with care, making it suitable for a young audience, wherever they are from.
Based around the historic event, but with important themes that are still very relevant today, The Line includes a spread at the back of the book with facts about the Partition of India. I hope it is shared far and wide and the message of togetherness is one that is talked about in homes, schools and libraries everywhere.