Press release
Spread courage, hope, and … books
Children's books aren’t always fairytales about fictional persons, but they often stare at reality with big children's eyes. Some kids are forced to leave behind their everyday lives, their friends, their books, and become refugees. Despite major difficulties, many of them manage to find a safer home and meet people that may become friends of theirs. We would like to introduce a new “friend” to these children, with whom they will hopefully have a good time.
The book “Ftou Xelypi”, which is a wordplay that literally means “Spit out the grief”, tells the story of a girl that fled Syria. In the end, not only did she save her life, but she also realised her dream. The Greek author Marietta Kondou was inspired by Yusra Mardini, who fled Syria and found shelter in Germany. The book was translated from Greek to Arabic and arrived in Münster hoping to find new friends.
The author shared her thoughts about this journey: “When an author’s text or book sets sail, there is always some anticipation and sentiment, like the child that goes to school for the very first time. And when this book starts to unlock doors and hearts, there is a lot of sharing, intimacy, and joy. When these doors and hearts are even farther, speak even more languages than I could possibly imagine, there is emotion, gratefulness, and responsibility”.
The initiative „Mut machen“ (“Be brave”/“Give courage”), the city of Münster, and the Greek publishing house Metaixmio brought 500 copies of the Arabic translation of the book “Ftou Xelypi” in Münster hoping that this story can give its readers courage. The books will be handed out to refugee and Arabic-speaking children during an official event on Thursday the 22th of November at 17:00 in the Historical City Hall of Münster (Rüstkammer, Prinzipalmarkt 9, Münster).
