Home 5 Articles and Reports 5 Frida Kahlo’s Book in Arabic by Kalimat Group

Frida Kahlo’s Book in Arabic by Kalimat Group

‘Kalimat’ released an Arabic edition of Frida Kahlo’s book

 At the 41st Sharjah International Book Fair, Kalimat Group released the Arabic version of a children’s book, Frida, Friducha, Frida: A Day with the family.

 Bodour Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group, led a storytelling session in Arabic with a group of young children during Day two of SIBF 2022. Afterwards, Ricardo Sánchez Riancho read the story in Spanish. 

 Beautifully illustrated by Carlos Velez and translated into Arabic by Samar Mahfooz Baraj, Frida, Friducha, Frida: A day with the family is inspired by the early life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, one of the world’s most influential artists. ‘Friducha’ was a nickname given to Kahlo by her artist husband, Diego Rivera.

 Bodour Al Qasimi’s storytelling session in Arabic detailed the delightful story of a day in the life of Frida, a young free-spirited girl who sets off from her house in the charming neighborhood of Coyoacan to venture into Mexico City.

 Through the captivating images, young readers are introduced to the colours, animals, and vignettes of Mexican culture that have come to symbolise the iconic painter’s life and journey as an artist. In the book, set before the time she contracted polio at the age of six, young readers can see her visit the market, and pick out vegetables, meat and fruits to cook a delicious meal with her mother and sister.

 The sprightly young girl later helps to clean up the kitchen and plays a game with her family before showering and getting ready for bed.

 Complementing the engaging, dynamic narrative is the lively, folk art-style illustrations by Carlos Velez that pays tribute to the vibrant hues of Kahlo’s paintings. The charming visuals reflect the renowned artist’s Mexican heritage and her fondness of nature.

 Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is best known for her self-portraits. Her bright coloured paintings, numbering around 200, fuse elements of surrealism, fantasy and folklore into powerful narratives. Intimate and powerful, these iconic paintings that express the essence of her life and suffering, are among the most compelling visual images of the 20th century.

 A doll, bearing the likeness of Frida Kahlo, was also unveiled by ‘Kalimat’ to mark the book’s release. The doll, produced in cooperation with “Dumyé”, a specialised doll production company, is part of an initiative to support children in Mexico. ‘Kalimat’ will allocate proceeds from the sale of Frida Kahlo dolls to support children in Mexico, in collaboration with Kalimat Foundation, a non-profit organisation.

 

Recent News

25Jun
Did Orwell’s fear of the sea shape his novel?

Did Orwell’s fear of the sea shape his novel?

George Orwell had a traumatic relationship with the sea. In August 1947, while he was writing Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) on the island of Jura in the Scottish Hebrides, he went on a fishing trip with his young son, nephew and niece. Having misread the tidal schedules, on the way back Orwell mistakenly piloted the boat […]

25Jun
Penguin at 90: Profit with Purpose

Penguin at 90: Profit with Purpose

Penguin UK CEO Tom Weldon is the latest inheritor of the Penguin brand which is celebrating its 90th birthday this year.  In a thoughtful article in the Bookseller he noted that founder Allen Lane’s vision for his revolutionary line of cheap paperbacks was both “missionary and mercenary”.  He wanted to grow the market, but to […]

25Jun
Audiobooks Hit Record High in the UK

Audiobooks Hit Record High in the UK

Audiobooks and fiction drove publishing growth in 2024, according to new figures released by the UK Publishers Association.  Audiobook revenue was £268 million which is the highest ever and up 31% on 2023. Fiction is up 18%, bringing in revenue of over £1 billion for the first time.  Digital formats were a key driver of […]

Related Posts

When literature deceived us

When literature deceived us

In a world dominated by fictional success it is of no surprise that the literary field had its fair share of ‘fictional’ claims that were successful in fooling people, well, until they were exposed. The Hitler Diaries In 1983, the German magazine Stern shocked the...

Did Orwell’s fear of the sea shape his novel?

Did Orwell’s fear of the sea shape his novel?

George Orwell had a traumatic relationship with the sea. In August 1947, while he was writing Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) on the island of Jura in the Scottish Hebrides, he went on a fishing trip with his young son, nephew and niece. Having misread the tidal...

Penguin at 90: Profit with Purpose

Penguin at 90: Profit with Purpose

Penguin UK CEO Tom Weldon is the latest inheritor of the Penguin brand which is celebrating its 90th birthday this year.  In a thoughtful article in the Bookseller he noted that founder Allen Lane’s vision for his revolutionary line of cheap paperbacks was both...

Previous Next
Close
Test Caption
Test Description goes like this