Process Talk with Jen: Rina Singh on Creativity, Resilience, and Centering Children
[Posted by Jen Breach for Writing With a Broken Tusk]
I was utterly moved by Rina Singh’s 2020 picture book biography 111 Trees, which profiled Shyam Sundar Paliwal, an Indian village leader and eco-feminist who, with trees and compassion, replenished the villages water and food supplies, and established equal rights to education for girls. Rina followed that up in 2023 with two more moving and meticulously researched profiles of Indian feminist and conservation activists. I am thrilled to talk with her about her process.
[JEN] In a 2020 interview with CBC radio, you discussed how the pandemic had affected your imagination. You said that on a walk you “passed a field, a school, a playground, a park, a trail. They were all empty. A stillness had fallen over the city. I looked up and saw a bird in a tree. I imagined if it wondered where did we all go. I wondered if the birds were worried for us. The story came to me wordlessly. It too was empty of words.”
How has emerging from the pandemic affected your imagination, if at all? Do you find yourself “returning” to pre-pandemic practices, continuing habits that began during lockdown, or forging new ones?
[RINA] I’m honored to be here, Jen.
Before I answer this, I think I’d like to share how shocked my imagination was as we went into lockdown. Surrounded by all the emptiness, I wasn’t sure if I would ever find another idea to inspire me. And then, on my walk, one day, I saw a bird and the idea of the wordless book came to me. The original title was Empty but of course it got changed to a more hopeful one, Once, a Bird like the story itself.
I was in survival mode then and was desperate to find my muse which I did in stillness and solitude. Once, a Bird captured the essence of the surreal moment in time.
Emerging from the pandemic has allowed me to reflect on the resilience of creativity in challenging times. In order to stay relevant, the writer or any creative person must adapt and embrace change as part of the creative journey.
I continue to choose the solitude of the pandemic for the act of creation while totally returning to the world around me for energy and inspiration.
[JEN] That pandemic story became Once, a Bird, illustrated by Nathalie Dion, which received starred reviews from Kirkus and others. I am always fascinated by wordless books with an attributed author. What did your manuscript look like?
[RINA] The narrative begins with the arrival of spring, symbolized by a small bird emerging into a strangely quiet world. The empty streets and still playgrounds set the scene, illustrating the sudden stillness that gripped our lives during those uncertain times. The bird, curious and determined, embarks on a quest to find a place to nest—a simple yet powerful metaphor for seeking stability and connection amidst disruption. As it explores, the bird captures the attention of the apartment building's residents, who find solace in its song. Through their windows, they witness the bird's journey and rediscover a sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world.
Creating the manuscript for a wordless picture book is like crafting a film script in its visual storytelling approach. My manuscript for "Once, a Bird" outlines a sequence of events and emotional beats through carefully planned scenes. Each page or spread depicts key moments in the story's progression, directing frames to guide the illustrator through the story arc. For each vignette on the double spread (closer to the end), I gave a visual cue: a mother pointing out the bird to her baby, an older couple dancing, a teenager recording the song on her phone, a grandpa encouraging his grandson to look at the bird through binoculars, and two children connecting with each other though their windows. And then, what Nathalie Dion, an unbelievable illustrator, did was pure magic
[JEN] Many of your recent nonfiction biographies center Indian village life, environmental conservation and activism. In a 2023 interview with North South, who published The Forest Keeper, you said “I’m so drawn to stories of underrepresented people doing extraordinary things while living in villages with such limited resources.” So often, picture book biographies focus on Nobel Prize winners and Fields Medalists. How do you find these less well known, but just as vital, people to profile? And how do you approach researching them?
[RINA] Yes, it’s true that I'm deeply moved by stories of underrepresented people doing extraordinary things.
I guess, my journey often begins with a keen interest in a particular theme, such as environmental conservation or social and wildlife activism. I stay updated with grassroot movements and local news from various regions, particularly in India. For instance, I came across Jadav Payeng, The Forest Keeper, through an article about his incredible efforts in planting a forest on a sandbar. Similarly, Sundar Paliwal's initiative of planting 111 Trees for every girl born in his village caught my attention through a Facebook post.
The story seemed too good to be true so what did I do? I went to India looking for him. He was not famous back then. I didn’t have his address or his phone contact, but I took a flight from Delhi to Udaipur and got myself a taxi and went to Piplantri unannounced. I needed to see the miracle for myself. I was lucky to find him. It would have been a wasted trip otherwise.
My favorite way is to go meet my protagonists if possible. I approach the research process with a focus on accuracy and respect. This often means traveling to the locations where they live and work, observing their daily routines, and conducting interviews with them and their communities. When I visited [the village of] Janwaar for Barefoot Skateboarders, I spent four days with the children, their families, and Ulrike Reinhard to get an understanding of the impact of the skatepark.
At the time, I didn’t know who my protagonist would be or whose point of view I would write from. But I was so charmed by [local kid] Ramkesh’s smile and had a strong feeling that he might feature in my book if I write one. I spent some time in his home talking to his mother who couldn’t stop talking about her son’s achievements.
L to R, Author Rina Singh; Rina with Janwaar kids; with Ramkesh; with Sundar Paliwal. All photos courtesy of Rina Singh
Writing these biographies is about more than just chronicling achievements; it's about capturing the essence of the individuals and their profound impact on their communities and the world.
On a personal note, I try to stay connected with them even after the book has come out. For example, Sundar from 111 Trees calls me ‘sister’ and we often check up on each other. And Ramkesh, the skateboarder sends me his latest skateboarding videos.
[JEN] In these books, you are profiling adults, but carefully link their passionate change-making to their childhood experiences. Your most recent book, Barefoot Skateboaders, however, is from the point of view of the children in the midst of making social and cultural change. Can you speak about your choice not to profile the German activist who built the village skate park, but the kids who made it their own? What kind of differences (if any) do you see between social disruptors who are adults, and those who are kids?
[RINA] Choosing to focus on the kids of Janwaar instead of profiling Ulrike Reinhard, the German activist who initiated the skatepark, was a deliberate decision. Ulrike's vision and efforts were crucial, but it was the children who truly brought the skatepark to life and made it their own. By centering the narrative on the kids, I aimed to show the incredible impact that young people can have when given the right opportunities and support. The children of Janwaar took ownership of the skatepark, learned from one another, and grew into change-makers within their community.
Adults, like Ulrike, often have the resources, experience, vision, and networks to initiate large-scale projects and bring their ideas to fruition. They serve as catalysts for change, providing the initial spark and support needed to set things in motion. However, the impact of young social disruptors can be incredibly profound and unique. Kids bring a fresh perspective, boundless energy, and an inherent sense of possibility.
By telling the stories of the Barefoot Skateboarders, I hope to inspire young readers to believe in their power and become the driving force behind change, no matter how small they might feel in a big world.
Uma chimes in: I only recently discovered Rina Singh’s books and I am so thrilled to have her work featured here at WWBT. Once, a Bird is a jewel of a book—a small and profoundly moving tribute to the often overlooked, heart-stopping power of connecting to the natural world. Thanks to Jen for coordinating and hosting this interview. Thanks to Orca Books for the ARC of Barefoot Skateboarders.
