Saman Shamsie

Where the Rivers Meet

Saman Shamsie, author of ‘Where the Rivers Meet’ was kind enough to  send us some videos for the Trinity River curriculum project (Texas,USA) we have been developing for disadvantaged communities. Saman is passionate about teaching and has shared some tips for young people who will be writing stories about the Trinity River.

‘Where the Rivers Meet’ is a fantasy story, inspired by suggestions from Saman’s own students, her teaching about rivers in geography, and the story ‘A River Ran Wild’ by Lynne Cherry. It follows the adventures of four friends on holiday by the river and describes the challenges they face and how they overcome them. The children are dragged underwater into the river to face a formidable enemy who threatens to  keep them trapped there forever. A megalomaniac Queen, of the Hilsa Shad (fish) is at the heart of a tussle for power. A blind dolphin and the evil giant Snakefish are all involved in a great underwater battle in which the children play an instrumental role. During this civil war, one of the children, Tanya shows her true, principled, colours and learns to come to terms with herself. This story is a celebration of species that live along and in the river but also emphasizes the importance of having a clean river and looking after our environment.

We hope that the story will inspire children to imagine their own world focused on a river ecosystem and create a story based around the Trinity River in Fort Worth inspired by Saman Shamsie’s imaginative story on the Indus River.