Our Voices, Together
new year, new book, new world? 🕊️
Have I wished you happy new year on here yet?
It’s probably on a to-do list somewhere, buried under a pile of run-in days and end-of-year burnout. But it’s there, I promise - a solid wish, and indeed a happy, where I hope that whichever way you chose to step across the threshold of 2026, you were blessed with good intentions, good company and good health to take you to the next milestone, God willing ❤️
So, welcome, to the first newsletter/post of the year where we are going to move swiftly on to the tagline - new year, new book, and maybe-just-maybe a new world.
My upcoming picture book Our Voices, Together, illustrated by the talented Syd Fini, will be out with BrightLight books at the end of January in Australia (and early to mid Feb in UK, US).
Our Voices, Together is a young person’s anthem of solidarity with children surviving war and acts of war, a reality that has become the forefront of news, conversations and collective activism in a way that I could not have imagined when I wrote it 4 years ago. As I explained in the intro video below, this story did not necessarily come from a place of light, but I sure hope that’s where we’re heading.
In the next few weeks I hope to follow up with a series of 1-minute videos about how we can navigate this vast landscape of horror and injustice in the small but meaningful spaces of our homes, classrooms, communities - specifically with the young people in our lives.
I want to talk about difficult questions, empathy, children’s rights, solidarity and more. This is by no means a one-way conversation - I would love to hear your own experiences and insights around talking to children about war, or any topic you’d like to discuss, so please email or message me.
I won’t be sending out a newsletter or Substack every time these videos go live, so please follow me on Instagram or check out the book page on my website if you’d like to keep posted. And if you’d like to purchase a copy for yourself or a caring young reader, it’s available for pre-order at these links for Australia, UK and US (and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!)
I’m thinking today, and everyday, of all the children for whom we raise our voices - and also of the countless individuals around the world who are doing the good work and fighting the good fight. If you come across someone today, support them. They are raising awareness, action and funds; peacefully protesting; ethically boycotting; creating art and stories; using their skills and platforms for good; fasting and striking and sacrificing comforts and convenience to oppose any system that will not keep our children safe; and extending their solidarity, love and kindness because it’s the right thing to do. ❤️
They are brave and they are many.
And that gives me hope 🕊️
Happy New Year to you too Inda. May this book inspire young readers and their guardians to raise their voices. 💕
Congratulations, Inda. It looks fantastic.