Dual language books for displaced people
Little Toller, a bookshop in Bridport is starting a new imprint called Pineapple Lane, aimed at publishing dual-language, mother tongue books for children displaced by conflict.
Starting with six Ukrainian titles, our aim is to publish books written, translated and illustrated by authors and artists whose lives have been disrupted by war. Although these titles will be available in bookshops and on our website, our main intention is to distribute copies free to displaced families, to help children stay connected to the language and culture they have left behind. We also want the books to be available free to the communities where displaced families are living within the UK, to enable cultural exchange and understanding in schools, libraries and other grassroots organisations.
The project has its roots in Packed with Hope, a campaign that enabled Little Toller to deliver 10,000 book-filled backpacks to children still in Ukraine and those forced across borders into neighbouring Poland and Romania.
With the help of 250 volunteers, the backpacks were filled over a single weekend with comforting and useful things, including a copy of the dual-language book How War Changed Rondo, especially published for the campaign.
How War Changed Rondo was written by Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv, a husband-and-wife team from Lyiv whose livelihoods as writers and artists in Ukraine have been severely affected by the war, it was the impact of this book that inspired us to start Pineapple Lane.
Huge thanks as ever for your continued support, we are passionate about our new imprint and can't wait to start distributing these beautiful books to children.
If you have any questions at all then please do email:
gracie@pineapplelane.co.uk
Gracie, Adrian, Jon and Graham
