Being Human Festival: A Story of Healing and Repair (Children)

This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 7–16 November 2024. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see beinghumanfestival.org.

The Secret of the Bush is a collaboration between Dr Grazia Caleo ,the , and illustrator-as-historian, Kremena Dimitrova. The children’s book contributes to the topic of intergenerational relationships in children’s literature by means of addressing the challenging subject of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

This event will encompass a talk and a workshop for children (7-13 years old). The talk aims to inspire curiosity and to offer a new poetic narrative of healing and repair concerning the Ebola outbreaks. The talk will open a window into the world of a child in rural Africa whose life is intertwined with her grandmother’s memories and ancestral practices. We will explore how these intergenerational relationships contribute to resilience and community cohesion in the face of disease. The talk will be followed by a discussion of the co-creation process and story-picture building of the book, shedding light on how the book’s visual elements were brought to life.

The workshop will use a multi-method approach including creative writing (poetry), illustration, and collage making inspired by natural materials (leaves, roots, soil, etc.) to express personal connections and narratives about disease, environment, and relationships.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Enfield Town Library, 66 Church Street, Enfield, United Kingdom