Pre-Launch of "Noridaviya yuthu ridena kathandara" by Uzma Khan

1) Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

I am Nilupulee Gunathilaka, a preliminary year student at Sri Lanka Law College. I am also an undergraduate of ‘Fashion Design and Product Development’ at the University of Moratuwa. I also presently serve as the Youth Ambassador to the ‘Stop Child Cruelty Trust’. 

2) What inspired you to write this book? 

This is my first book. If I am to tell you a bit about how I got into writing this book, I was adjudged the ‘best debater of the tournament’ at the ‘Voice against child abuse’ debate competition which was organized by the Stop Child Cruelty Trust in 2021. As my prize for winning ‘best debater’, I was invited by the Trust to volunteer to be their Youth Ambassador, and also write a book on true stories of victims of child abuse. Since I was passionate about child rights and also was excited to write my first book, I took the opportunity. 

3) What is the idea behind the title of your book? 

The thinking behind the title ‘’Noridaviya yuthu ridena kathandara’’ is that all stories in this book are very hurtful, although none of these children should’ve been hurt and gone through any of these experiences. 

 4) Can you walk us through the content of your book? 

This book includes 07 true stories. Each story draws on a different aspect of the childrens' lives, the forms of abuse they underwent and how they faced the abuse. There are stories of both male and female children as well as children from different ethnic backgrounds included in the book. 

5) What surprised you the most while writing the book? 

It was definitely the brutality of the abuses these children faced. Also, the fact that most people sided with the abusers, and didn't believe what the children had to say, came as a rude shock to me. The victims told me that nobody was willing to listen to them and believe their story, because most adults thought the children were lying, just to get attention. Also, just how negligent and inconsiderate the relevant authorities and the system in place was, with regards to matters of child abuse surprised me a lot. In most cases the Police and other authorities downplay the incidents and specially don't take cases of verbal abuse and corporal punishment seriously. 

6) Why do you think these stories are important to be heard? 

Not every child has the strength to tell their story or fight for themselves. Hearing about these stories from the victims themselves made me empathize with them and opened my eyes to the horrific realities of child abuse. I want my readers also to go through this journey with me and be aware of these pressing issues so they can also raise their voices against all forms of child abuse. I believe the stories I have outlined in my book will be extremely helpful in this regard. 

7) What was your writing process like? 

 Firstly, I interviewed the protagonists of each story. I was able to make the first draft of each story in about 2-3 weeks but spent more than one and a half years editing my book. 

8) Who is your ideal reader for this book? 

Anyone who is passionate about fighting child abuse and seeks to gain some insights into the topic is most welcome to read the book. The stories are in simple language and include illustrations as well. 

9) What are some challenges you faced while writing the book? 

 Because the experiences they underwent at the hands of their abusers were extremely painful, the victims were very hesitant to open up. As such, I had limited details to write their story, while at the same time wanting to give my readers the full picture of what happened. That was the biggest challenge I faced. In addition to that I also sometimes found it challenging to manage time and find time to devote to writing the book with my other commitments. 

 10) How has writing this book changed you on a personal level? 

 As someone who earlier believed that punishing children was not exactly a bad thing, it is through writing this book that I came to realise how something as trivial as a spank, could drastically change the life of a child, given that not every child is the same. This was a real eye-opener to me. I also thoroughly enjoyed the entire process of writing the book. Since this was my first attempt at writing a book, I learned how to narrate stories to an audience, use language effectively to appeal to my readers and how to describe the fine details in each story, among other things. 

11) What are some other forms of art you pursue? 

 I am a Bhathkande Sangheet Visharadh in Violin and am currently pursuing my Visharad in Vocals. I play the guitar as a hobby and also enjoy dancing. 

12) What advice do you have for aspiring writers? 

 Find a topic you are genuinely interested in. In my case, since I was passionate about child rights and fighting child abuse, even though this was my first attempt at writing a book, I didn't feel overwhelmed during the process. Always keep in mind that the central message you want to get across to your audience is the most important part of your book and this will keep motivating you throughout the process