What is l’œil du monde ?
L’œil du monde is a variety of opal that becomes transparent and iridescent when damp. This stone and its beautiful name symbolise the power of images and stories to break down borders and language barriers.
L’œil du monde is a project initiated by Editions MeMo that invites children’s book publishers from around the world to Nantes and the Pays de la Loire region. We’re off to discover 11 publishing houses and their book catalogues, as well as 11 countries with their languages, cultures and arts. It was an event held at Le Lieu Unique in March and April 2023, but above all it was an adoption of these publishing houses by as many libraries, to forge links since 2022 and for a long time to come with the child readers of the invited countries.
L’œil du monde invites us on an artistic and multicultural journey where language is seen not as a barrier but as a desire to reach out to others. And images are a universal language. Thanks to books, we can take off on an immobile journey, opening the door to the world right next to us.
L’œil du monde is an adventure that has already taken more than 15,000 children on board and is now continuing in Europe!
Thanks to the European Commission and its “Europe Creative” programme, the next three editions of l’oeil du monde will take place in 2024 in Poland, Italy and the Czech Republic.
Three other versions of the project by Baobab (Czech Republic), Topipittori (Italy) and Wytwórnia (Poland), which bring together libraries, artists and teachers to bring children all the richness and power of illustration in the service of intercultural languages.
Kitty Crowther
Illustrious illustrator, she is not only l’œil du monde’s sponsor, 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
