‘Let’s Write in Baghdad’ incarnates hopes and dreams of Iraqi children

When Iraqi poet and writer Qassem Saou­di began “Let’s Write in Baghdad,” he said he did not expect the great response it received or the young talent he discovered. 

“It was just amazing. The feed­back was overwhelming and ex­ceeded all my expectations. It was a worthwhile adventure and a wa­ger that we could win from the first child we talked to. We were happily surprised,” Saoudi said. 

Investing in children’s potential and stimulating creativity are be­hind the initiative, which aims to teach students aged 7-12 to write short stories for other children. Supported by Ali Hamza and Manar Madani, Saoudi embarked on his venture in 2016, saying he wanted to “incarnate children’s imagination through short stories on paper.” 

Saoudi started promoting his initiative in 60 public and private schools in areas of Baghdad where, he noted, children could be eas­ily initiated and quickly understand what was required of them without the help of teachers. 

“Most of the stories that the chil­dren produced contained a mixture of joy and hope despite the difficult situation in the country, which we expected to affect their writings,” Saoudi said. “The children of Bagh­dad overcame the painful past and present with a lot of courage.” 

More than 400 children’s texts were collected covering stories about animals, Baghdad neighbour­hoods, space and the planets and family problems. 

“It was astounding to see the children in a country that experi­enced the calamities of war and arbitrary killings avoid writing about death and destruction. I was stunned by the maturity and crea­tivity of these children when I read all the beautiful stories they had produced,” Saoudi said. 

Some children, however — ap­proximately 5% of the participants — wrote about the painful loss of loved ones or the destruction of their home and villages. 

“These were the children we have met in refugee camps,” Saoudi said. “Their stories were about friends they missed and a desire to go back to their plays and comfortable homes instead of living in makeshift tents and under very difficult conditions.” 

Among the collected texts, 15 were selected and compiled in a book titled “The Adventures of Booboo the Balloon.” It was printed with donations from supporters of the initiative and presented at the Sharjah Book Fair. 

Al-Farachat Pub­lishing House published the book free of charge in collaboration with the House of Scientific Books on Mutanabbi Street, the historic cen­tre of Baghdad’s bookselling and in­tellectual community. Illustrations and drawings were offered by several Arab artists, in­cluding Iraqis, a Palestinian and an Egyptian. 

“We have printed 3,000 copies that we distributed to the schools in Baghdad as a token of the expe­rience that has reflected the aspira­tions of Iraq’s children for knowl­edge, love and happiness,” Saoudi said. 

Dima Bassam, the 12-year-old au­thor of the lead story that gave its name to the book, said the idea of the “Adventures of Booboo the Bal­loon” was inspired by her wish to visit the ancient city of Babel, which encompasses the world’s oldest civ­ilisation. 

“I never had the chance to visit that historic place due to the vola­tile security situation in the coun­try and my father’s busy schedule. I have reflected this wish through Booboo the Balloon, which could fly freely over all Iraqi regions,” Dima said. 

After wandering for days, Boo­boo the Balloon finds itself in the southern city of Basra but he does not know how to return home to Babel. While trying to find his way back, Booboo meets a pink flamingo that helps him find his way. Flamin­goes usually pause in the al-Ahwar marshes area in southern Iraq dur­ing their journey south towards warmer regions. 

“I have learnt about the cities and regions that I chose for Booboo to visit in geography classes only. Through him I could reflect the dreams of many children who wish to have the same adventures, to travel and to get to know the history of our country,” Dima said. 

Dima’s father, Khalil, said he hopes his daughter will become a writer. “She always surprises me with her talents and passion for writing and drawing. I will support her all the way to develop this hob­by and talent,” he said. 

Saoudi said he is confident that “Let’s Write in Baghdad” can con­tribute to the development of chil­dren’s writing skills as well as social and humane conduct. “It nurtures their creativity and imagination and reinforces their quest for knowl­edge, hope and peace away from war and destruction,” he said. 

By Oumayma Omar