One of the themes in our Anthology was Familial Ties, this theme was brought to life through the beautifully written fairytales by, Natalia Flores, Mimoza Lekperi, and Zena Mohamed. Here’s what inspired these talented writers’ tales:
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Cassiopeia of the Wood
Written By: Natalia Flores
Artwork By: Cherry Leung
With “Cassiopeia of The Wood”, I wanted to write a story with a female lead, who completely lets go of every aspect of her femininity, while addressing desire and want vs societal norms, and incorporating parts of my real life. The kingdom is named after the town I grew up on Long Island, and each character is based on people I know personally and wanted to do each person justice, giving them conclusions I think they deserve. It’s a revenge fairytale.
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Cindy in the City
Written By: Mimoza Lekperi
Artwork By: Cherry Leung
The story follows Cindy, a woman who toils in the Human Resources department alongside her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. But fate takes a turn for the better, and Cindy rises to power, leaving her enemies stunned and humbled in her wake.
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Barbuni
Written By: Zena Mohamed
Artwork By: Katelyn Madera
“Barbuni” was inspired by her father’s experience as an Egyptian immigrant coming to the United States. Zena decided to create a fairytale version of her father’s story to delineate both the rewards and hardships of coming to the States in an attempt to create a better life. She decided to integrate magical aspects and use elements often utilized in fairytales to further emphasize the essence of his trip. Baba’s trek to the U.S. plays a tremendous role in demonstrating how eye-opening his encounters can be but also bring awareness to the strength that it takes to escape poverty and leave everything behind. It is crucial that there is more Arab representation in written work along with accurate depictions of our culture and heritage.