Accessibility
Language
29.08.2023
#bayernkreativPORTRAIT: Fatima is the founder of the FAFALAG publishing house and an award-winning "Kultur- und Kreativpilotin 2022". In her six books, published in 13 countries, she transforms her experiences into lively stories. Her bilingual children's books, which focus on different cultures, take you on little adventures. Find out in our bayernkreativPORTRAIT how her everyday life and personal memories became the source of her ideas and how she discovered her passion for storytelling. Fatima also shares her future plans and visions for her publishing house and her work as an author.
Dear Fatima, ten years ago you founded your self-publishing company FAFALAG and have been publishing children's books in German and Portuguese that focus on different cultures ever since. Where do you get your ideas from?
My creative impulses usually come from listening and observing - be it on the subway or during phone calls with my sister. Even inconspicuous everyday sentences are able to resonate with me and trigger stories. My mind acts independently, weaving the initial fragments in its own way and shaping them further.
Why did your mother and your neighbor play an essential role in your passion for telling stories?
In my childhood, both my neighbor and my mother were true masters at inventing bedtime stories. The fascination was that these stories were often spun from one night to the next. Occasionally they also drew on stories handed down from their own childhoods, which took on a very special meaning for me.
You have already published six books in German and Portuguese and sold them in 13 countries. Each book is full of personal experiences. Is there a book that is particularly close to your heart?
Yes, that is "Alba die Seerose", because here I tell my "German" story in the form of a fable; arriving here, making friends, etc.
How long does it take you to finish writing a book?
The sketches of the stories are written down quickly, but then the fine-tuning phase begins. It's fascinating to see how rough drafts gradually evolve into the final version. The amount of time it takes to get a version ready for print varies considerably. A remarkable example is my first book "Alba...", which took a full 10 years to reach maturity.
You illustrate some of your books. What fascinates you about working in this field as well?
First of all, I am not satisfied with many of the illustrations created by "professional" illustrators. I notice time and again that children react very emotionally to my collages and drawings, often more strongly than to the illustrations created on the computer.
Are you currently working on a new book idea?
Yes, there are actually three, but I don't want to reveal any more yet! In contrast to my first children's book, the realization will be much faster.
You get feedback from your audience at your readings in daycare centers/schools. Was there a reaction that particularly touched you?
One reaction that particularly touched me was the feedback from a mother who later told me at another reading that her child would like to have "Alba's" book read to them every evening.
What would you like for your future book projects?
I would love to be recognized with an award for one of my books. My aim is to inspire children with my stories and at the same time teach them important values such as diversity, equality and creativity. These topics are particularly close to my heart and I want to convey them in my stories in a sensitive and inspiring way.
What do you hope to achieve with the "Cultural and Creative Pilot 2022" award?
The "Kultur - und Kreativpilotinnen 2022" award is intended to open doors for me to build a network of children's book authors and illustrators with a black migration background. Together we will write, illustrate, proofread, bring to print and distribute children's books.
The Bavarian cultural and creative industries are vital, cooperative, polyphonic and relevant to the future. We introduce you to Bavarian players. What is their business model? What drives them?
Would you also like to answer a few questions and be part of our "bayernkreativPORTRAIT" campaign? Then send us an email to kontakt(at)bayern-kreativ.de with the keyword "bayernkreativPORTRAIT".