Grandma’s tales – part wisdom, part folklore, and often both, are a part of our living history and culture. These may not always be documented but research points to intergenerational storytelling as a key developmental resource for kids. In this episode we talked about the research behind this idea and with a special guest who shared her own experiences and writing influences related to this theme.

Writer and publisher Anusha Velluswamy talked about intergenerational storytelling through the lens of her children’s book, Maari – a gift from the skies. The book shares a story of a sweet bond between a child and her grandmother. Anusha shared her life experience as a child of Indian-Burmese refugees and the stories that help us shape our sense of identity and place in our families and communities. We ended with an understanding of how empowering stories can help those who don’t see their stories in dominant narratives.

The first season of Zubaani is produced by ⁠Peerbagh with Upasna Kakroo as the host⁠. “Zubaani” in Hindustani translates to through the language or by means of language. Peerbagh’s late founder, Vatsala Kakroo chose the name of the Podcast in summer 2023 when the work began. Upasna Kakroo made the episode artwork. Krista Rodrigues⁠ supported the episode research especially on adapting stories for diaspora kids. The background soundtrack features Slim Finger Pickings by artist Heston Mimms (2021), sourced from Imuno. 

This program is supported by the Elevate grant from the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department and Texas Humanities. 

Details and further reading is available on the intergenerational storytelling episode here.

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