March Theme: Intergenerational Storytelling And Zubaani Returns

March is international women’s day and we are working hard on producing the next issue of Bento that talks about connections. Intergenerational stories pass through artists and often through women at homes. Stories are important for identity and development just like clean air and water. But often we underestimate stories and they are not easily accessible for minorities. As a nonprofit, we work with a mission to diversify storytelling so that our communities see and hear stories that are culturally relevant.

With this in mind, in this month, we have a few upcoming events (in-person and online) that celebrate South-Asian stories. And some very exciting announcements to make as well. All this will be in our upcoming newsletter for the month. But here’s a sneak peak.

Zubaani – Intergenerational Storytelling From South Asia

We are VERY excited to share that our Zubaani podcast on intergenerational storytelling is back for season two. This year writer and Peerbagh friend, Salma Hussain (author of Mona Hasan’s Secret Diary) will join as cohost.

Zubaani episodes will launch during the AAPI month in May this year at the Varta event in Austin. They will be available freely to everyone online for easy access. We talk about the stories we carry, food identities, and stories that define us as a culture. We will be sharing Kidlit book inspirations throughout the episodes.

This work is supported by a grant from Michigan Humanities and a grant from the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department.

Upcoming Storytelling Events

• Peerbagh and Bento will be at the Detroit Public Library bringing South-Asian stories to a multicultural storytelling event on March 8th. It’s a free event and if you’re in Detroit Metro, do come!
• On March 4, we will be reading a mystery South-Asian book to kids at Wines Elementary
• On March 22, our Bento readers and student reporters will be working together in a Bento StoryLab dedicated to superheroes and folk stories.

Monthly Newsletter

This month’s newsletter will come with a toolkit on how to finish your stories. It’s going to be exciting! And we will bring you a selection of stories and books we are loving. You can sign up here for free.

With Ramzan and spring break almost upon us, we hope you are giving yourself a chance to take a breather!