In Our Own Words

Anthology of short fiction stories written by and for children and young people

British Council Nepal, Room to Read Nepal and UNICEF Nepal
17 August 2021
This image shows a poster with illustrations from the In our own words books

'In our own words' is a platform for young people to write the kind of short stories they would want to read.

Capturing the visions and voices of 20 young writers from different parts of the country, the anthology comprises two books 'My Heroine and 'Our Lives Today'. The stories in these books are centred on the themes of gender and mental health respectively, and available in both Nepali and English - make sure to click on the links below to download!

   

 

 

My heroine 

This collection of stories is penned by young people between the ages of 10 and 14. From the Mushroom Kingdom to the village of Lakshmanwa; from a girl with an unfamiliar last name to the story behind a scarred face, the short stories in this book are a mixture of the strange and the commonplace. This collection will take you on many journeys and will introduce you to heroines of all kinds. 

 

This image shows the cover of the My Heroine book
This image shows the cover of the Our Lives Today book

   

 

Our lives today 

In this collection of short stories, the writers have explored various themes ranging from love, death, regret, loss to bravery, making mistakes and asking questions. Characters suffer during the pandemic, seek purpose in life and work to make peace with their pasts. Some stories might seem personal while others are reflective of our times. What is common in these stories are female characters that exude strength and resilience. Welcome to a powerful, collective force of ten young female writers whose voices will entertain, unsettle and console. 

Project background 

For ‘In our own words’ an open call for short fiction under the themes of gender and mental health was announced on the International Day of the Girl Child in 2020. Out of more than 80 submissions, authors of 20 stories were brought together for a series of workshops on storytelling. Alongside learning the craft of telling stories, the participants also learned about creating images for stories and discussed important issues surrounding gender and mental health.  

The finalised stories were handed over to 20 artists, who then worked to translate it into images, characters and settings that the young authors have created.  

In our own words was initiated by the British Council in partnership with Room to Read Nepal and UNICEF Nepal. Children’s book author Anuradha and women-led artists group Virangana Comics Collective contributed to the programme as Creative Partners. 

About the creative partners 

Anuradha  

Virangana Comics Collective  

 

Partners

British Council Nepal

UNICEF Nepal  

Room To Read