Little Rebels - Shortlist

I am absolutely thrilled to share the news that We Are Here has been shortlisted for the Little Rebels Children’s Book Award.

Alhumdulillah ☺️

When I wrote the text for the book - it was a spoken word piece that just kind of fell out of me after witnessing yet another horrifying tragedy in the English Channel. On the 24th November 2021, thirty men, women and children were trying to make the crossing in a small inflatable dinghy, which began to deflate and then capsize. Several mayday calls were made. The French said the boat was in British waters, so they called the British authorities, who didn’t respond. Eventually, after twelve hours, the UK and French coast guard arrived at the scene and found only two survivors.

I thought about little Alan Shenu (Alan Kurdi) who was found dead on the beach in Bodrum in 2015 and all the countless other people who were (and are) searching for safety and a better life. I thought about Warsan Shire’s poem, Home and the line - ‘You have to understand that no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land…’

This is where We Are Here came from. It’s a call for help for those that won’t be listened to. And it’s a message to those in search of safety, that we are here.

Being shortlisted really does feel like winning. Not just in relation to the book, but just personally as an indie publisher. I baulk at myself when I say that, because I feel like it’s an exaggeration. But I also know that’s just my imposter syndrome jabbing its nasty claws into my ribs. I’ve definitely made mistakes and have a huge amount to learn, but I took a moment recently to write my CV. After seeing all of my skills and achievements from the last four years laid out on two pages - well - it’s allowed me to feel worthy of that title.

To the team at Little Rebels, Housmans Bookshop and Letterbox Library - thank you for this honour and thank you for giving space for We Are Here to reach a wider audience. It looks like the book has some very tough competition… but I think we really are all winners!