If you look carefully, you'll see that my books all tend to be about migrants. In Varjak Paw, Varjak's family came from Mesopotamia; in Phoenix, Bixa's family are refugees from a war. I wrote more about my background and how it shaped my writing in this Guardian article.
Today, February 20 2017, One Day Without Us asks us to celebrate contributions made to the UK by migrants and people descended from migrants. So today, I'd like to celebrate British children's writers and illustrators who came from migrant backgrounds. It's an incomplete list – but look how many wonderful books it includes. How different would British childhood be without their contributions?
THANK YOU FOR COMING TO OUR SCHOOL, I REALLY LIKED YOUR ASSEMBLY. I HOPE YOU COME AGAIN. THANK YOU.
ReplyDeleteHow old were you when you got into reading?
ReplyDeleteWhat did your friends and family think of Varjak paw ?
ReplyDeleteMr SF SAID thank you for posting a photo of me on the website and thank you for coming to our school hope you have a lovey x mas
ReplyDeleteDear Roshaun Y6,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment - it's always a pleasure to meet great young readers like yourself!
With best wishes,
SF Said
Dear Emmalid y6,
ReplyDeleteI can't really remember not reading! One of my first memories is of reading The Cat In The Hat when I was about 3. Here's a blog I made about that, and some other books too:
https://tygertale.com/2015/08/09/sf-said-qa/
With best wishes,
SF Said
Dear Nikola Y6,
ReplyDeleteMy friends and family had seen how hard it was for me to get a book published, so I think they were just glad for me when Varjak Paw finally came out! Some of them have told me they enjoyed reading it, and that really means a lot to me.
With best wishes,
SF
Dear Bethany,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much - it's a great photo! I really enjoyed visiting your school, and meeting you all. I hope you enjoy reading your books!
With best wishes,
SF