TakelakaRoa : « What made you want to write specifically for young readers? Is there a bilingual book or a story from your childhood that marked your journey?»
Andrea Razafi : Writing specifically for young readers allows me to fall back into childhood myself. When I write, I remember the stories my grandfather, my mother, or my aunt used to tell. I draw my inspiration essentially from those stories, with a personal touch and a pinch of modernity. I must say that almost all the children's stories I write are stories from my own childhood.
TakelakaRoa : « Your work often deals with folktales. In your opinion, why is it crucial that young Malagasy children see themselves represented in the books they read from an early age? »
Andrea Razafi : These folktales are among the cultural identities of Madagascar. They allow young Malagasy children to connect with their roots, with Malagasy culture. And even if they live abroad, it allows them to maintain ties with their origins.
TakelakaRoa : « In children's books, illustration is the child's first language. How do you collaborate with illustrators so that the image supports the words ? »
Andrea Razafi : The illustrators propose a selection of images which, in their view, best represent a character or a landscape. Together with the artistic director and the editorial director, we choose what best represents an appealing landscape for the child and what kind of character to feature.
TakelakaRoa : « What is the most beautiful compliment a child or parent has given you after reading your book? »
Andrea Razafi : A parent once said: « It's wonderful that someone was able to write a modern version of Malagasy folktales. » For me, that is a beautiful compliment, because it means the tales are living with our times and that I succeeded in conveying the message without distorting the original stories.
TakelakaRoa : « If you had to give one single piece of advice to a parent still hesitant about reading to their child in two languages, what would it be? »
Andrea Razafi Two languages are better than one, children deserve and should even learn several languages. Thanks to this, they can travel and discover other cultures. That journey begins first and foremost through books. Let children discover new horizons.
Full name: RAZAFINDRAIBE Andrea
Pen name: Andrea Razafi
City of residence: Antananarivo
Preferred language(s): French
