Q&A
Tell us something interesting about yourself:
My grand kids think that I am a witch, because I can heal all their pains with my magical words.
Tell us your favourite medium for reading:
Audio books.
Tell us your favourite location for reading:
I listen to my books while I walk outside.
How would you describe your identity?
I am from Colombia, South America.
Book title:
Letters in charcoal
What inspired your creative process in writing or illustrating your book?
As a reading promoter, I travel around my country, Colombia, paying attention to stories told by teachers and librarians.
Favourite character or moment from the book – and why?
The narrator, unnamed, represents the women I’ve met in workshops held in very remote places.
What themes or messages does your book raise?
I want to show the transformation of a country moving from illiteracy to a culture of reading.
How would you describe your artistic or writing style in three words?
Realistic.
What aspect of the story did you most connect with, and how did it shape your illustrations?
Life in an Afro-descendant community.
Materials and techniques used for this book’s illustrations:
I am not the illustrator. Juan Palomino can answer the question.
Favourite illustration – and why?
The page where the mother braids the girl's hair carries a meaning of freedom. During the era of slavery, those who escaped built villages surrounded by wooden stakes, known as palenques. Braids were used to trace the routes leading to these palenques. Between the strands of the girls’ braids, seeds were inserted so that the cimarrones—escaped slaves—could grow crops and feed themselves.
