The 20th of June is the day that the UN has chosen to honor and give a voice to the people that, in order to avoid conflicts or persecutions, have been forced to abandon their homes and move to other countries to find shelter.
This day was first celebrated at an international level on 2001, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. It was in that convention that the circumstances to be considered a refugee, as well as the rights that they have, were stablished. Before obtaining international status by the UN, the 20th of June was known as Africa Refugee Day.
We at Libros de las Malas Compañías want to commemorate this day and the people that have gone through such devastating experiences by highlighting four of our books, where either refugees are given a voice or the tales of their homelands are told.
The first book that we think deserves being mentioned in such a day is The Pea Giant and Other Tales from Ukraine, one of our newest books and part of our Illustrated ancient tales collection. This book presents many outstanding Ukrainian tales where the Littlest One wins, and justice stands above all. The importance of such a book during World Refugee Day lies in the reason why it was published, as it is not a purely artistic collection. If we look beyond the art written inside the book’s pages, this book was published with the main purpose of allowing Ukrainian children to experience part of their culture, even after being forced to leave their houses and families behind when they emigrated in search of a safer place.
Another of our books related to refugees is Prince’s Journey, which we published in 2023. This book narrates young Prince’s journey from his homeland, Cameroon, to Spain. Its travel log appearance is not representative of his travel’s ease, as Prince did not plan the journey and he had to run away from his country to avoid war and the atrocities that come with it. What Prince did not expect were the abuse, discrimination, institutional racism, and gender violence that he encountered along that journey. Through Prince’s experience, this book represents the learning, resilience, and strength that refugees must have during their journey in order to overcome the adversities and arrive at a place where they can leave peacefully.
Our book Five hedgehogs and a goat compiles orally transmitted stories by Saharawi women, where hedgehogs act as a metaphor for the resistance of a small village that has been kicked from its homeland and now must survive on the desert. This book mixes the oral tradition with the harsh reality of the persons that were forcefully displaced after the occupation of their land, which forced them to live in a refugee camp.
Last but not any least is our illustrated album Brothers in Syria, currently on sale for just 7€, it tells the tale of a family that was split after a bombing during the war. The aim of this book is to portray the adversities of war, so that readers can better comprehend the kind of situations that refugees try to avoid when they decide to flee from their homeland to seek shelter in calmer countries.
