Part of Your World

Courtney Chilvers

Part of me wants to tell you my old story, before I was named Ariel, given a green tail and a fork to curl my hair with. But I’m my author’s favourite Disney Princess, so this is based on the story she likes. The one where the prince kissed my voice back into me and gave my poor unfortunate life a soul. For so long I said nothing, kept my head down I had to. Even if I’d had a voice-box, I couldn’t have spoken. Couldn’t have had an opinion, or a brain, or a musical talent; couldn’t be more than someone who was half-human. And every minority since the sun first rose over the sea is like me: every woman, every black, every refugee, every redhead - that’s also me everyone disabled, poor or in LGBT silenced. But now the story has ended, the Disney way my author likes, and so this girl has a voice. A voice that is not silenced above the sea; a voice that will talk, a voice that will shout, a voice that will sing, and my voice - our voices - will become part of your world.