Last week we welcomed the author Efua Traore and the book’s illustrator Debora Adachi to St. Kilian’s. Efua read from her story ‘The Boy Who Forgot to Say Goodbye’, which revolves around Oya, a goddess from Nigeria, and Brigit, a saint from Ireland—both guardians of the gateway between life and death—and a boy who sets out to bring his grandmother back from the world of the dead because he forgot to say goodbye to her. The story, wonderfully illustrated by Deborah Adachi, brings two different worlds together. After the reading, Efua shared insights into her life in Nigeria, which often serves as the setting for her stories and books. Being inspired by the story, the children in 4th class illustrated their own versions of a god/goddess and saints and were delighted to have Debora guiding them. The event was organized by Frau Zahn with the Goethe-Institut. Thank you to Efua and Debora for a wonderful morning and to Oya, the librarian from the Goethe-Institut, who was intrigued by Efua because they share the same name as the goddess featured in the story.
The story ‘The Boy Who Forgot to Say Goodbye’ is written by the Nigerian-German author Efua Traore and is illustrated by Deborah Adachi, who has Brazilian roots and lives in Ireland. Efua has a captivating and thrilling storytelling style and has written books such as ‘Spirit Sisters’ and ‘Children of the Quicksand’, which have already been published in various languages.
