Nadine Kaadan is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator from Syria now living in London. Since arriving to the UK in 2012, Nadine navigated the complex dynamics of the UK children’s publishing industry, the challenges around genuine diversity and authenticity as well as the need for representation. In this discussion, moderated by Dr Fen Coles, Letterbox Library, we explore Nadine’s creative process, the importance of cultural heritage and how we process war and trauma through art. Looking at her diverse catalogue of work we delve into Nadine’s passion for authenticity and how her cultural heritage serves as a constant source of pride and identity.

About Nadine Kaadan

Nadine Kaadan is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator from Syria now living in London. She is published in several countries and languages and her mission is to champion empowered and inclusive representation in children’s books so that every child can see themselves in a story.

Nadine’s work with young refugees in mitigating post-conflict trauma has captured the attention of CNN and the BBC, both of which have broadcast special features on her books ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘The Jasmine Sneeze’. She has been nominated for a Kate Greenaway Medal, and the Little Rebel Award. She is the 2019 winner of the Arab British Centre Award for Culture. Nadine was selected as one of The BBC 100 Women 2020’s ‘most influential and inspiring women’, and was featured on their BBC 100 Women masterclass. In 2021, Nadine was commissioned by The Story Museum to be the writer of Amal Meets Alice, a procession event in Oxford that gathered over 100 performers with 8000 people joining on the day.

*******************

The talk will be chaired by Dr. Fen Coles

About Dr. Fen Coles

Fen is a co-director at Letterbox Library, a 40-year-old, not-for-profit children’s booksellers specialising in equality, diversity and inclusion. She co-runs the Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction. She is also on the Steering Committee for the CLPE’s (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) Reflecting Realities Project, responsible for the UK’s first ever survey of ‘ethnic minority’ representation in UK children’s literature.

Fen has a PhD (2005) and an MA (1995) in Interdisciplinary Women’s Studies from the University of Warwick.

Before joining Letterbox Library in 2005, Fen worked for over 10 years in the charity sector within several women’s and lgbtq+ rights organisations and was a tutor in ‘Lesbian Cultural Studies’ at Warwick University.

*******************

The evening is a part of Grand Junction’s Our Shared Heritage talks programme which explores themes from the late Victorian period, when St Mary Magdalene’s was built, from different and diverse perspectives.

Our Shared Heritage celebrates the part that Black, Arab, and Asian people and cultures have played in London’s history.