So here's the thing - this country's cultural pie gets bigger, not smaller, as more people are allowed to partake of it. When children and...

So here’s the thing – this country’s cultural pie gets bigger, not smaller, as more people are allowed to partake of it. When children and young adults see their lives and concerns reflected in the homegrown books they read, the films and television programmes they see, the computer games they play, they feel they and their lives are not invisible. Seeing yourself in the cultural world leads to a sense of better social inclusion and a feeling that you are part of something, that you have a stake in it and wish to add constructively to it. For some – like me when I read The Color Purple at the age of 21 – it plants the seed of an idea that maybe you too could be a part of the rich cultural heritage of your country.