Words of wisdom from older generations are being shared with children throughout Ireland and as far afield as the US, thanks to A Book of Hope, edited and illustrated by artist Ana Colomer.
As part of Clare County Council’s Keep Well campaign, Clare Arts Office supported Ana to create the book under the Cúram initiative. Ana invited older writers to submit pieces about aspects of life when they were growing up. She then illustrated each submission.
The first copy of A Book of Hope was presented to one of the contributors, Mary McMahon. Mary, in turn, has passed the book on to her grandchildren.
Ana Colomer said: “It has been an honour and an unbelievable journey to gather heartfelt messages, memories, tales, poems… a project conceived to connect people, and what a success it has been.”
Ana went on to explain that: “I know for a fact some of these books will travel as far as the US, Korea and Australia, where little hands, wide-open eyes and eager ears will touch, see and listen, remembering their loved ones far away, unable, for now, to travel. I hope the book will feel like a hug.”
Ana invited older people to write a little piece about their childhood. Following a public call, 24 submissions were selected from all over County Clare, Ireland, the UK and the US, to name a few. Ana then created beautiful illustrations to accompany some of the chosen pieces.
Siobhán Mulcahy, Clare County Arts Officer, said: “The delicate use of colour in this book provides a soft, inviting and comforting read that can be shared between generations. Ana’s proposal struck a chord with our ‘Keep Well’ message, encouraging older people to partake in creative writing while connecting with young people and children during this difficult time. The book will be one to be treasured by all who read it.”
Copies of A Book of Hope are available here.