Marzieh Abbas Loves her Dupattas

 by Sue Heavenrich

A Dupatta Is . . . 

by Marzieh Abbas; illus. by Anu Chouhan

32 pages; ages 3-6 years

Feiwel & Friends, 2023

One of the best things about reviewing kid’s books is that I often get a chance to connect with some of the authors whose books I fall in love with. Usually it’s because the author and I share a passion for something, and this time it’s a passion for textiles. As a weaver, I love the feel of a fabric, the color and design, the functionality of the cloth that comes off a loom.

Marzieh Abbas shares these fabric feelings as well. But when she starts thinking about her dupatta, it is so much more than a beautiful fabric. In her new book, A Dupatta Is… Marzieh shows how these shawls, traditionally worn in various cultures in South Asia, are integral to her life. 

In addition to color and shape, a dupatta is sound. Imagine the swooshing and flitting and flapping of a superhero cape as you leap and fly in the wind! A dupatta can protect you from sun or wind, carry a baby, be a picnic blanket or part of a pillow fort. It is art, beauty, and so much more.

So I was thrilled that Marzieh had time to answer a few questions about her book.

Me: In Storystorm you talked about inspiration from a family photo. I love that. Can you share what dupatta means to you? (I imagine it’s the whole book!)

Marzieh: Haha. No spoilers here, but…yes—my answer is literally the last spread of the book! In my recent Storystorm guest blog I also shared the inspiration behind this topic, and what the dupatta means to me. Here’s an excerpt: 

A few years ago when my mom was cleaning out her storeroom, I found an old picture of us sisters wrapped in a dupatta, an oversized South-Asian scarf, that had been tied like a sari. It was from the time we were visiting Karachi to see my Dadi, my grandma. She always wore saris and loved to dress us girls up in pseudo-saris, using fancy dupattas. She was a quirky grandparent who was married off at 16 and widowed at 28. She, herself, was a treasure trove of stories. A few years ago she passed away. My father, the youngest of three sons, had moved back to Pakistan to be with her in her last years. A few weeks after she passed, we noticed my dad had been sleeping with her dupatta tucked beside his pillow. He had asked my mother never to wash it, as it held her scent and helped hold her memory close. 

Not only did this stay with me for a long time, it was the spark of an idea for my debut picture book, A Dupatta Is… (you can read the entire post here)  

By penning this book, I wanted to capture all that a dupatta means to me. It’s served me differently through different phases of my life, and continues to inspire me when I hear fellow-desi writers talk about it! It truly is so much more than just a piece of cloth!

Me: Was wearing a dupatta part of your life as a kid? As an adult? 

Marzieh: It’s been a part of my life ever since I can remember, and continues to be an integral one! When I was little, we wrapped ourselves in dupattas to replicate the grown-up look. We also spread them like canopies over cushion towers, and as picnic mats. When I was a tween, I enjoyed accompanying my mother and grandmother to bazaars to find the perfect dupatta to match my Eid Shalwar Kameez! I also began taking a hijab when I was nine, and as I grew older, and more able to manage a larger shawl, I began taking the dupatta as a head-covering, in place of my hijab. As a mom, my kids have used the free-end of dupattas in place of hand-towels and handkerchiefs (eww!). It’s an important part of my culture and faith.

Me: How did you come to the structure for your book: a dupatta is shape, is fabric, is place? What led you to this? And - did you try different ways of presenting your story before alighting on this as a way to share?

Marzieh: I was reading Fry Bread (by Kevin Noble Maillard) for the first time with my daughter one day, when I fell in love with the structure! It was so simple and yet so lyrical. I’d been struggling to write a story about my culture; I wanted it to be joyous and a celebration of my Pakistani culture and identity, but I kept gravitating towards an issue story approach. When I read Fry Bread, it hit me like a lightning bolt—I had to try this structure! As I continued to play with my daughter after reading the book in her room, I scribbled words and headings on chits of used paper. Once I had the headings down, it was just a matter of choosing which bits to keep and which bits to cut and/or consolidate. I later added the refrain, ‘But a dupatta is so much more…” I don’t think I’ll ever be able to write a story that’ll burst forth so effortlessly again! 

Me:  In the author’s note you mention that dupatta designs are different from one place to another. Can you talk about some of the designs/colors? Do you have favorite colors/designs/fabrics? 

Marzieh: Diverse fabrics from different regions of Pakistan are used to make dupattas. The patterns and techniques used to create each style is so distinctive that I can easily tell where a dupatta has originated. As for favorites, I do love my silk dupattas—they look so regal, especially when draped over solid (not patterned) tunics. When it comes to colors and designs, I have to say my favorites really depend on my mood. These days I’m loving my chunris and phulkaris!

Me: If someone wanted to make their own dupatta or scarf, how would they go about doing it? Is it as simple as getting fabric and hemming? Adding lace? Making some prints (wood block or potato or linoleum print) or tie-dying?

Marzieh: Yes! You can first choose an embroidered fabric, or go with a plain cotton, silk, or georgette base piece of cloth, and cut it to size. Dupattas are usually about 8 feet long and 40-ish inches wide (for a full-sized dupatta). Some dupattas are dyed (either one shade or tie-dyed) to match an embroidered tunic. In Pakistan, bridal dupattas are heavily worked with six-inch- broad embroidered borders. Others are embellished with sequins. lace, and tassels. Block-printing is a popular art here with flowers, vines and paisleys being the most popular motifs. 

You are the artist and your dupatta is your canvas! There’s really no limit to your creativity --It’s up to you how you wish to wear yours! The last step is hemming the edges. If you want to be fancy, the options are endless; adding a few rows of crochet along the edges is common as is adding colorful lace!

Me: Please talk about the importance of smells and taste and how they can influence the stories we tell. It sounds like these senses tie into your next book (AWE-SAMOSAS, coming out in 2024)

Marzieh: If you close your eyes and imagine the smell of fresh toast, I’m sure a few memories will pop into your mind, possibly some from your childhood. I rely heavily on the sense of smell and taste when writing. I use it as a springboard for other memories. The smell of turmeric and cinnamon, for example, immediately makes me think of the home-remedies my mom used when we had sore throats as children. Similarly, the smell of cardamom always reminds me of Pakistani sweet dishes and the sweet samosas my mother-in-law taught me to make soon after I got married. Sweet samosas? Yes, such a thing does indeed exist and it is heavenly—filled with coconut flakes, sugar, cardamom, and crushed pistachios and almonds! It was the idea-spark for my upcoming book AWE-SAMOSAS where a little experimental chef, Noor, has to come up with a quick solution when she realizes she’s out of ingredients for the secret samosa recipe she is recreating. 

Thank you so much, Marzieh, for sharing your book connections with us!

Find out more about Marzieh and her books at her website (https://marziehabbas.com) where she has links to her twitter, instagram, and facebook pages. Photos of dupattas are from the Anarkali Bazaar in the ancient city of Lahore. The photo of Marzieh was taken by Abbas Ali Rahim. Review copy of the book provided by the author.