Blog

Aug 26, 2023

Spider

From a trailer in Kentucky to a tipi in Mongolia to an off-grid farmhouse in Wales, the places where children sleep offer a fascinating glimpse into their wildly divergent lives Everett lives in

From a trailer in Kentucky to a tipi in Mongolia to an off-grid farmhouse in Wales, the places where children sleep offer a fascinating glimpse into their wildly divergent lives

Everett lives in Livonia, Michigan, US, with his parents, who are collectors of an eclectic mix of artefacts, including antiques, art, bourbon and watches. He has his own collection of hundreds of Spider-Man toys. After buying every single kind of Spider-Man sold at the US retailer Target, he has started to collect vintage figurines. When Everett grows up, he would like to work at Marvel creating superheroes, or become a firefighter.

Maria lives in Vicenza, Italy, an hour away from Venice, in a large house built by her grandfather. It is shared by her immediate family, her grandmother and her aunt. Maria is a dedicated climate activist and belongs to the organisation Fridays for Future, a youth-led movement formed after Greta Thunberg’s protest outside the Swedish parliament. Maria’s fears for the future of the planet have intensified to the extent that her mother has become concerned for her mental health. Maria believes Vicenza and Venice will be submerged completely and fears there will soon be global warfare.

Gantulga’s family are nomadic reindeer herders in Mongolia, near Lake Khuvsgul. They have more than 200 animals and belong to the Dukha community, who take great care of their reindeer. Gantulga goes to school from 9am to 2pm, and has extra lessons in Mongolian, English and maths. In the summer, he accompanies the men and older boys to the taiga forest, to find greener pasture for the reindeer. They live in a tipi, which can be draughty, but at night the floor is covered with sheepskins to sleep on. There is a solar panel that powers his smartphone. When he grows up he would like to be a reindeer herder, but his father fears he may want to move to the city.

Rawan lives with her mother and four siblings. The family fled war-torn Syria and now reside in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, with 80,000 other refugees. It took them 15 days to reach the camp, travelling on foot, by car and on horseback. Her father had been detained two years earlier for protesting during the civil uprising. It is not known whether he is dead or alive. Rawan has nightmares about the bombing and sometimes dreams that she is dead. Home is a converted 6m shipping container. Food is rationed and they have no money, so her older brother earns a few Jordanian dinar by ferrying things around the camp in his wheelbarrow.

Lilia lives in Ludiya, a village with more cows and buffaloes than people, in Gujarat, India, close to the border with Pakistan. The area has periods of rainfall and drought, and in summer temperatures reach 42C. She has six siblings and lives with her parents in a one-room hut. Lilia sleeps on the floor with her younger sisters. There is no sanitation, so the family use the communal toilets. Lilia’s school is a short walk away. Her favourite subject is Gujarati and her least favourite is maths. Lilia has learned embroidery from her mother. Her responsibilities at home are sweeping, gathering firewood and drawing water from the well. Her brother has no chores to do.

Nemis lives in an apartment in Montreal, Canada, with his parents and 15-year-old sister. When he was seven, his sister started watching RuPaul’s Drag Race. He was fascinated by the performers’ grace, and wanted to emulate them by putting on makeup and trying out new looks. He started taking voguing lessons, and entered a Vogue Ball, winning the First Time in Drag category. When RuPaul’s Werq the World tour came to Montreal, Nemis went along in full drag and was invited on stage. He hopes to become a drag queen when he is older, or a teacher who dresses in drag. Some classmates think he’s “super cool”, but many do not understand why he loves drag.

Rayhan lives with his parents and baby brother in Accra, Ghana. Two housemaids also live with them. A high wall topped with barbed wire surrounds the property, and in the living room there is a pond, filled with goldfish, under a glass floor that people can walk over. Other rooms include a gymnasium, a bar and a cinema. Rayhan has his own bedroom, with a bed shaped like a Jeep, reflecting his love of cars. However, he prefers to sleep with his parents and only uses his bedroom for playing.

Alex lives in a trailer in Harlan, Kentucky, US, with his grandmother, mother, brother and two sisters. It is covered in soot from the coal-fire stove in the kitchen, which is the only form of heating. His grandmother sleeps on the couch, while the rest of the family sleep on mattresses on the floor: the boys are in one room, his mother and sisters in another. Last year, Alex’s father died from an opioid overdose. They had a complicated relationship, but Alex still misses him. He would like to join the military, following in his grandfather’s footsteps.

Daniel lives in Maramureș, Romania, as his family have for 300 years. They have two houses: one, pictured here, is a traditional village house with a watermill for processing wool, and the other is more modern. In summer, he sleeps at the old house, but it becomes too cold in winter so the family move into the adjacent modern house. They are self-sufficient, only purchasing oil, sugar and occasionally biscuits from the shop; they keep four pigs, two rabbits, four chickens, a goat and a horse to provide food for the family. Daniel travels to school on the bus, and is not really interested in upholding local traditions.

Shintaro lives with his father and sister in Yokohama, Japan. His mother died a year ago in a car accident, while making deliveries for her elderly father, a rice farmer. Her ashes are kept at home so he and his sister can continue to feel her presence. Shintaro plays football three times a week, and tries to get 10 hours’ sleep each night because he believes it will help him grow taller. Last year, his father and sister went on a six-week trip to Australia, but Shintaro didn’t go because he did not want to miss any football training. He recently went to a training camp in Argentina, where he slept in a dormitory with other boys and never felt lonely. His ambition is to be the best football player in the world.

Millie lives off-grid with her parents and two dogs in Wales. Home is an old farmhouse with no heating or running water, but they do have electricity from solar panels. Her father collects water from a local stream. Upstairs, everyone sleeps together on two double beds that have been pushed together. Millie is home-schooled by her mother, and her day consists of play, drawing and imaginative games.

Words: Margaret Anderson

This is an edited extract from Where Children Sleep Vol 2 by James Mollison, which is published by Hoxton Mini Press at £35. To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.