Reth aur Reghistan: Manahil and Nimra Bandukwala
Episode 107 of the Small Machine Talks
I had a fascinating conversation with Manahil and Nimra Bandukwala about their project to share Pakistani folklore through stories, poetry and art. This episode is part of the off-page, extra-literary thread of the Small Machine Talks.
Please listen to the episode here.
I also urge you to go to the Sculptural Storytelling site where you will find a plethora of articles, photographs, art, stories, and fascinating resources on this imaginative and community-oriented project.
The work of Nimra and Manahil Bandukwala to share the folklore of Pakistan is all-encompassing and offers many different ways of approaching the stories from colourful gorgeous art that uses elements of nature from Pakistan and Canada, to the stories and the poems that give us both overviews and first-person perspectives of the stories. Folklore is the expression of cultures, and such expression is often lost over time, and often this loss is due to imperialism and colonialism. I am grateful that Manahil and Nimra decided to share these stories with the world. They are empowering works of delight, heartbreak and beauty.
You can pre-order Women Wide Awake, forthcoming from Mawenzi House here.
Thanks to Nimra and Manahil for being on the show, to Charles Earl for processing, to Jennifer Pederson for intro and outro assistance, and to all of you for listening and sharing the episodes. Stay tuned for our next episode with designer and artist Barrie Tullett!