Project
From an insatiable appetite between éditions MeMo (Nantes) and 11 other international publishing houses to showcase the diversity and vigor fueling the field of youth creative publishing the world over arose l’œil du monde.
“Creative Publishing”? Toutes ces maisons sont résolument engagées dans la création contemporaine à destination des jeunes lecteurs et lectrices (0 – 15 ans), dans le soutien aux artistes de l’écrit et de l’illustration, et décidées à offrir une alternative à la standardisation culturelle. Twelve publishing houses with one common vision for their youngest readership: publish little, publish one-of-a-kind, timeless, quality albums.
Our goal is to open a door to the World, one within reach, and open our eyes to the World thanks to the spectrum of authors, libraries, publishers and all those who experience immense joy when reading with young ones.
A multicultural and intercultural endeavor
Spain, Rwanda, the Czech Republic, South Korea, Norway, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, India, Italy, Poland and France: Hailing from all four corners of the world, these twelve publishing houses are brimming with cultural diversity tailor-made to awaken the senses.
Be it of an artistic, graphic or literary nature, with a focus on childhood or via a spectrum of languages, diversity is omnipresent. The bridges enabling people and places to connect are countless; for children and their loved ones, a whimsical window like none other giving rise to a plethora of possibilities, the unique chance wherein to forge relationships with meaning and meant to last with other cultures.
Opening oneself up to the world could not better illustrate the very essence of l’œil du monde, empowering the curious to bask in the wonderment of an imaginative expanse whose pictorial language speaks to all and whose tonalities resonate beyond all frontiers.
The Association
The Association saw the day in 2021. It unites professionals from the book industry and project partners. With a wide readership at the heart of its objectives, it strives to showcase what publishing entails, as well as the strides made by publishers to place quality, independent youth literature in a league of its own with a worldspread message that goes hand-in-hand with cultural diversity.
Board
President : Christine Morault
Treasurer : Anne Thouzeau
Assistant Treasurer : Nadine Dronet
Secretary : Laurence Le Guen
Association Officers
Florence Boudet, Nolwenn Caillet, Paolo Canton, Christelle Capo-Chichi, Nadine Dronet, Tereza Horvathova, Charlotte Jaillot, Magdalena Klos, Laurence Le Guen, Amandine Momenceau, Christine Morault, Élisabeth Sourdillat, Anne Thouzeau, Véronique Triger, Elisa Villella
Team
Overall Coordination : Lise Martin et Nolwenn Caillet
Press Relations : Noémie Spiessert
Kitty Crowther
Illustrious illustrator, she is not only l’œil du monde’s patron, but also the savvy signature behind the illustrations of the festival’s visuals.
“When it comes to giving life to her stories, be they simple or complex, far be it from Kitty Crowthers to cut corners. Drawing from the beauty and magic in the world, she uses them as guiding lights for inspiration and introspection. Animals, plants and even stones embrace true-to-life dimensions, and along with us from the human realm, constitute one world rooted in harmony and enchantment. Adversity and prickly subjects on the whole fuel her relentless pursuit of hope. Kitty Crowther’s compassion and ardent connection with the characters in her books reflect the deeply-rooted humanism epitomizing the narrative thread in her work.” Astrid Lindgren Award Jury
