Jamila Rizvi is the author of the bestselling Not Just Lucky, a career manifesto for millennial women, and The Motherhood, an anthology of letters about life with a newborn. Jamila is Editor-at-Large of the Nine Network’s Future Women, host of their podcast Future Women Weekly and weekly columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. She is also a regular commentator on The Project, Today, The Drum and Q and A, and an occasional host on ABC Radio Melbourne. She lives in Melbourne with her husband Jeremy, son Rafi and many loads of clean but regrettably unfolded washing.
Today Jamila Rizvi is on the blog to answer a few questions about her first ever picture book, I’m a Hero Too – read on!
Jamila Rizvi
To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
I was born, bred, raised, and schooled in Canberra which will delight some and appal others. The city gets an awfully bad wrap because of the political connection but it’s a genuinely wonderful place to grow up. As a teenager I resented how small it was but as a parent myself now, I absolutely understand the appeal.
What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
When I was twelve, I wanted to be an actress, when I was eighteen, I wanted to be a politician and at thirty I wanted to be a good mum. I’ve always been very focused on my work; ambitious, enthusiastic and driven. My son arrived unexpectedly when I was 29 and I’ve never felt so underprepared and my confidence evaporated. I’ve since found my feet as a mum but there were some very wobbly months back at the beginning.
What are three works of art – book or painting or piece of music, etc – that you can now say had a great effect on you and influenced your own development as a writer?
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi gave me new perspective and understanding of illness as a learning experience, not just a painful one. Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist helped me see the imperfections in my own gendered thinking and the narrow view with which we all come to this world. And Rachel Cusk’s A Life’s Work taught me I could respect and be influenced by writing, even when I disagreed with it.
What made you choose to write a children’s book?
My son. My little boy was four years old when COVID-19 began rapidly taking over our planet and taking with it, our way of life. Everything I saw in the media for children involved little spiky green balls with smiley faces and I knew we had to do better.
Please tell us about your latest book!
I’m a Hero Too is about a kid called Arty whose life has changed enormously. Arty no longer goes to kinder or has ballet classes or plays on the equipment at the park. Arty feels cross and confused, so they talk to Dad about how all the change is making their tummy feel funny. When Arty learns that their mum is a hero, working on a vaccine for the coronavirus, Arty decides to be a hero too.
What do you hope kids will take away with them after reading your book?
I’m a Hero Too helps children to deal with the grief they’re feeling about the pandemic. We don’t often associate grief with children’s emotions, but they feel it, just like adults, and need support to deal with it. The book then moves children quickly from acknowledgement that they’re missing out on some things to a place of empowerment. Kids are encouraged to feel powerful and positive, as contributors to a safer and better world where their favourite activities can return.
Who do you most admire in the realm of writing and why?
The list is endless! There are so many writers whose work I admire and working in the industry has only expanded my reading crushes. Most recently I have been enjoying Jessie Tu’s A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, Sarah Wilson’s This One Wild and Precious Life and Cole Brown’s Greyboy. My favourite read of 2020 is a toss up between Julia Baird’s Phosphoresence and Tara June Winch’s The Yield.
Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
To write books that make people who’ve been made by this world to feel less than, feel more confident, more powerful and less alone.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Take risks or there is no point. If you and your characters can’t be vulnerable on the page then the work will never be worth reading.
Thanks Jamila!
—I’m a Hero Too, written by Jamila Rizvi & illustrated by Peter Cheong (Penguin Books Australia) is out now.
This book is part of Booktoberfest, the festival of new books!
I'm a Hero Too
An insightful, topical and practical picture book story about a family coping with the changes brought about by Covid 19, from the much-loved Jamila Rizvi.
Inspired by her own child’s experience, Jamila wrote I'm a Hero Too to help children make sense of the changes to their world and to help them feel empowered and reassured about how they can be a hero at their house too! A story for our time right now, but also for all times, as children will always need reassurance about change...
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