Books with stories of Irish Travellers and Roma children from Cork to be launched
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Two books consisting of stories and artworks of Irish Travellers and Roma children from Cork will be launched on Thursday.
The books were developed in collaboration with the Cork Traveller Visibility Group, Tusla Education Support Service and the Cork Star project.
The “Grow Up Strong” book provides a glimpse into the lives of Irish Traveller children through stories and artwork while “The Real Us” book offers readers a series of tales and creations from the perspective of Roma children.
The books were developed over a 12-week period in which the young participants shared their stories and creating stunning artworks.
The official launch will take place at Nano Nagle Place on Thursday, January 25. The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy will be in attendance.
The book was published by Sligo-based Kids Own. Kids Own CEO and creative director Ciara Gallagher emphasised the importance of publishing works from Irish Travellers and Roma children.
“I think we, as a society, need to take children and young people’s voices more seriously, and a key way of doing this is ensuring that children’s voices and creativity are heard through high-profile platforms, such as published books, and art exhibitions.
“I think this sends out a powerful message about how we value children and I really believe that these books can have a huge impact in the classroom, where children from Traveller and Roma communities will have the opportunity to see their community, culture, and their peers, represented in books,” she added.
The initiative was funded by the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal and the Community Foundation for Ireland.