Independent Bookseller and the Founder of Mirror Me Write

Ayesha Choudhury Shares her Passion for Books

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always believed that ‘books are a gateway to the world’, pages filled with endless knowledge, entertainment and escapism. 

At a time, long before phones and social media, I was that kid with multiple books on the go, keeping my sister awake in our shared room as I read by torch light, under the duvet, trying desperately not to rustle the pages. 

As I embark on my new venture, ‘Mirror Me Write’, I think back to those days and contemplate how my book journey began. I owe much of my love of books to my mum, a librarian by profession. Religiously she would pack us off, my siblings and I, every Saturday on a walk down to the local library, fuelled with the knowledge that we’d be able to visit the sweet shop afterwards, with our pennies and stock up on cola bottles and other delectable treats that our limited but very welcomed pocket money could get us.

We would pool our funds together and come home loaded with sugar and a bagful of books.  I think my mum knew then, that she’d do whatever it took to get us to read and she was right.  I found myself being transported to Narnia, caught amid some drama in Malory Towers, rooting for William Beech and crying at Zach’s demise in ‘Goodnight Mr Tom’. 

However, my real love for reading didn’t really kick in till the age of 11. It was my first year of High School and I was exposed to books that began to fuel my fire, books that were about social justice, human rights, history and culture.

Some of these books included ‘Anne Frank’s Diary’, ‘Malcolm X’s Autobiography’, ‘Underground to Canada’ and ‘The Colour Purple’. It was through these books that I began to see representation, for the first time I was being introduced to protagonists that didn’t fit one racial construct, important for a child of British Muslim-Asian descent, navigating her identity in 90’s Britain. 

This newfound discovery,  of representational books, changed the way I engaged with the world and I became more open to writers who came to literature with multiple perspectives, varied foundations of knowledge and story styles. 

I felt empowered by these books and this is very much, how, ‘Mirror Me Write’, was born.

I set up ‘Mirror Me Write’ as an independent bookseller of diverse, relatable, relevant and inclusive books for Children and Young Adults at the back end of 2019, when I noticed that there was nowhere specifically dedicated to such books in Manchester and the North-West, where I am based.

After working in Education for several years and having my own children, I have become more resolved in my commitment to promote inclusive resources and books for readers that would foster respect and tolerance amongst communities. For me, representation is not a privilege but a right! A right of every child to feel that sense of belonging. 

Although still in our early days, the process of setting ourselves up so far has been enjoyable, as we continue to make links with publishers and authors alike. We have so much to learn and would slowly like to expand our reach and get our books into schools and homes across the North-West.

If you would like to find out more about us and follow our journey, you can find us on Instagram, ‘mirrormewrite’.
Alternatively you can email: hello@mirrormewrite.com