For the 26th ILB, young people had a say in choosing which books would be featured at the festival. The project began when the reading club «Die LesArtigen» attended an event with young adult author Candy Gourlay at the 25th ILB. For the 26th ILB, the group worked with two literature educators to explore international young adult literature before choosing two favorites: Delphine Minoui’s «Badjens» and Kathleen Glasgow’s «The Glass Girl». In a workshop with moderator Tanasgol Sabbagh, they will discuss «Badjens» and the upcoming event while gaining insight into what goes into preparing a moderation.
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 – 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.