For the 26th ILB, young people had a direct say in which books would be presented at the festival. The project began with a visit by the «Die LesArtigen» reading club to an event with young adult author Candy Gourlay at the 25th ILB. In the lead-up to the 26th ILB, the group, guided by Sylvia Habermann and Anna Keil, immersed themselves in international young adult literature before selecting two favorites: «Badjens» by Delphine Minoui and «The Glass Girl» by Kathleen Glasgow. In a workshop with moderator Tanasgol Sabbagh, they discussed «Badjens» and the upcoming event, while also gaining insight into how a literary event is prepared and moderated. The project concluded with visits to the events featuring the two selected books, followed by a meet-and-greet with both authors.
The Young Jury on Their Choice
»Zahra, whose nickname ‹Badjens› means ‹rebellious› in everyday Persian, grows into that name over the course of the novel. She is coming of age in present-day Iran, under a regime that wants women to be silent and submissive. For a teenage girl, that means oppression, coercion, and having to fight for even the most basic experiences of growing up. But Badjens has had enough. After Mahsa Amini is killed by the morality police, her resistance culminates at one of the ‹Woman, Life, Freedom› demonstrations. Moving and devastating, Delphine Minoui’s poetically written story is one of courage, self-discovery, relationships between women, and resistance both large and small.« – Die LesArtigen
»Bella tries not to be a burden to her parents. But after the death of someone she loves, that becomes harder and harder. She turns to alcohol, which at first seems to make everything more bearable. Over time, however, her life begins to spiral out of control. Although she believes she can stop drinking whenever she wants, she wakes up in the hospital one morning after a party. It is clear: she needs help. In ‹The Glass Girl›, Kathleen Glasgow writes with unflinching honesty about what addiction means, how difficult withdrawal can be, and how substance use disorder can change a person forever. The book is both unsettling and deeply moving — and especially important at a time when alcohol has become such a normalized part of everyday life.« – Die LesArtigen
In cooperation with LesArt, Berliner Zentrum für Kinder- und Jugendliteratur, and Arbeitskreis für Jugendliteratur e.V. The project took place as part of the peer-to-peer project «Literanauten», funded by the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, the PwC Foundation, and the Waldemar Bonsels Foundation.