ZARINA DIVIDED Interview: Illustrator Shehzil Malik

Behind the scenes of making a book cover come to life!

I’ve admired Shehzil Malik’s work from afar so was delighted to finally get to collaborate on a cover of mine. Her use of color is vibrant and striking. She is the talented illustrator for ZARINA DIVIDED. For this manuscript, I was given three choices of illustrators and I was really drawn to Shehzil’s use of color and concepts. Her covers really stood out to me.

Welcome, Shehzil!

Preview:

From the award-winning author of Unsettled, Reem Faruqi, comes a stirring coming-of-age story about a Muslim girl who, during the Partition of India, must learn to cope with loss, guilt, and change in order to grow. Perfect for fans of Amil and the After and The Partition Project and inspired by real-life events.

“A simultaneously gentle and gripping story led by a strong-willed protagonist eager to advocate for herself in a changing world.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

More about the book and some lovely reviews here.

Without further ado, here is our interview!

1. Shehzil, what do YOU hope people think or feel when they see the cover for ZARINA DIVIDED?

Even though the story follows the events of the Partition of the Indian subcontinent, the cover has an optimistic feeling. I hope it makes the viewer feel that this is a story of a girl who will ultimately find her way. The central smiling character of Zarina holds a carnation flower to show her hopes for her new home. It was especially fun to incorporate elements from the landscapes of Poona where her journey begins, to the hills of Murree where she ends up in the adornment of her kurta and dupatta.

2. Do you read the whole book before signing on to illustrate/design the cover? What drew you to this project?

It really depends on the book and the timeframe I have to illustrate the cover. With this book, I read it in one go! I think the writing is so well done, and I cried while reading because so many families in India and Pakistan have a similar story. I was also drawn to how it’s written in verse- I hadn’t read anything like it! I have a huge appetite for all things South Asian, and I felt personally invested in this story. Does Zarina make it to the new country? Will she accept the new reality thrust upon her? Where will her family end up and will they be able to come together again? I was hooked!

3. Thank you so much for sharing how you got invested in Zarina’s story and that you cried! I love that you felt for her, and I’m so glad you brought this project to life. Would you share your design process and vision?

My process started from reading the book and making notes of the major themes: division, loss, travel, change and new beginnings. It also reminded me of the renowned artist Zarina Hashmi who was also a child of Partition, and created her body of work about the violence of borders and what home meant to her.

I then drew out sketches where I thought of the borders between the two countries, the violence of leaving your home, and the different landscapes of Pune vs Murree and the modes of transport the family took. I was also thinking about Marc Chagall and how he painted topsy-turvy landscapes to show the violence of his migration. The sketches also had variations with both figurative and symbolic options describing these themes.

Molly Fehr, who is the senior designer at HarperCollins Children’s Books, was the main driving force behind what the final cover looks like. Since this is a middle grade children’s book, we decided that a more figurative approach would work better with a young audience. The publisher wanted that the cover shouldn’t be too intense, but instead focus on Zarina’s journey and add the storytelling elements into her clothes flowing out behind her. When drawing this new version, I was reminded of another favorite artwork of mine- Aubrey Beardsley’s Peacock Skirt!

After some further simplifications in the details of the dupatta, and adding her boarding school in the hilly background, I went into color and made a few variations. We then picked a color scheme that felt the most compelling with a sunset-like feel to her clothes and a bright cloudy day behind her.

With many rounds of feedback and discussion, this was a very collaborative process and the final cover was done!

4. It’s fascinating to see the ideas that led you to the final cover. I remember admiring the train and asking you to draw a ship as well because the character Zarina takes a ship as well to Pakistan. I love how it turned out! What is something you are enjoying these days?

These days I’m visiting Pakistan from Berlin, and the best part has to be hanging out with my family and eating all the food I’d been craving!

5. Any next projects you have coming up? We can’t wait to support and follow you!

Actually I have my own children’s book coming up- THE BIKER GIRLS – it’s the first time I’ve both written and illustrated a story! It’s based on my own experiences of riding a bike in Lahore and how being a girl on a bike here was so unusual and attracted a lot of attention. I’ve been working on it for years, and I can’t believe it finally comes out this September! I’ll be posting updates on my Instagram. As a first-time author, I’m equal parts excited and nervous! Thanks for asking and for the support, Reem!

Thank you so much for being here Shehzil! Your children’s book looks so good and I can’t wait to read it. The concept is so intriguing and I love how it’s based on your own experiences. Real life stories are ones I especially gravitate to. Side note, as a glasses wearer, I adore that the girl on the bicycle is wearing glasses too.

About Shehzil:

Shehzil Malik is a designer/ illustrator with a focus on socio-political topics, women’s narratives and feminism.

She works on social impact projects through digital art, publications, textile and public art. She was a contributing artist and panellist at the Oslo Freedom Forum 2019 and has previously worked as an art director at Ogilvy & Mather, Lahore. Her commercial practice includes clients like Penguin Random House, Oxfam, Malala Fund, Marvel, New York Times, GIZ and Google.

Portrait by Kayhan Anjum Suleman.

Order Our Book:

Ordering our book shows the publisher you are interested in Shehzil’s beautiful art and my story. Please order it wherever books are sold! Here’s a link to get you started!