Panel discussion: Children's Literature, Hospitality and Refuge – Kolibrí Festival

Join us alongside Alfredo Soderguit, Jaana Pesonen, Katri Tapola, Maria Pikkarainen, and Olga Filippova, as they debate about children's books and animation movies.

How could these “artefacts” open discussions and learning processes to children about refugees, immigrants, war and hospitality on these days? Moderated by Anna Sidorova.

How do children's books and animation movies help us talk about identity (us/others) or concepts of 'our own' and ‘others’, home, war and security? How do illustrators, film directors and writers approach these topics and voices in the producing process?

Nowadays: How are those stories present and how are they raised in children's literature? How is presence vs representation vs the absence of voices told in stories? Is polyphony in children's books possible?

Panelists:

· Alfredo Soderguit, Uruguayan children books illustrator, writer, and filmmaker. Honored guest of Kolibrí Festivaali 2023.
· Jaana Pesonen, Lecturer in Educational Sciences at Helsinki University.
· Katri Tapola, writer focused on the theme of refuge in many of her works.
· Maria Pikkarainen, manager of language and culture groups’ education of Joensuu City.
· Olga Filippova, Ukrainian refugee scholar at the Eastern University of Finland and cherries orchard lover.

Moderator: Anna Sidorova, TAIKE art advisor, children literature translator and lead IBBY-Finland publication about “Other languages in the Finnish children's literature”.