Lithuanian / Lithuania
Prieš srovę. Sabiha – žuvų draugė
(Against the stream. Sabiha, a friend to fish)
Marcinkevičius, Marius
(text)
Muschick, Vytenė
(text)
Itagaki, Lina
(illus.)
Vilnius: aukso žuvys, 2023. – 57 p.
ISBN 978-609-8120-82-0
Biography | Courage | Dictatorship | Comic | Fish | Science | Albania | Kasimati, Sabiha (1912-1951)
Reading age: 8+
White Ravens issue: 2024
Lina Itagaki, one of today’s most important Lithuanian illustrators, has received numerous awards for her children’s comics. Again and again, she has dealt with the topic of Lithuanian’s history under Soviet occupation. Her preoccupation with the lives of people living in dictatorships is evidenced once again in this biographical comic about the Albanian ichthyologist Sabiha Kasimati. Her life story is one of a courageous, inquisitive young woman who would not let herself be barred from becoming a scientist. But then she came into conflict with Albania’s communist regime under Enver Hoxha, was arrested and executed. Kasimati’s particular relationship to fish is taken up in a marvellous way by telling the story from the fishes’ perspective and portraying the protagonists as fish-like people with fish eyes and fish mouths. »Prieš srovę« is a magnificent international book project which has also been published in Albania. A glossary and explanatory appendix, as well as historical photos complement the main story. [KW]