Helen Patuck

It is wonderful to be part of this global movement of reading and storytelling to tackle fears around COVID-19 @iascc Sara and Ario made it to the New York Times! Answering Kids’ Questions About the Coronavirus, in Free Picture Books nytimes.com/2020/04/14/books…

Just 2 weeks now until the launch of our Kitabna toolkit for story-writing with communities affected by conflict in Yerevan, Armenia. We are celebrating 10 years of kitabna.org with our project partners and toolkit funded by the UK AHRC 💜 👉🏼 ec-bridges.com/projects/155-…

As our work with Ukrainian children in Poland begins, it was a bittersweet moment to walk in the completely rebuilt old city of Warsaw, passing by the syrenka mermaid, knowing siege warfare is as prevalent in 2023 as it was in 1944.

Lovely to welcome Aryan from Iraqi Kurdistan yesterday, and to see Ayşe, Narmen and Ebtesam for ESOL conversation class this autumn 💜 we were discussing the adjective “brave”, and agreed it’s never too late to learn, make friends in a new place and follow your dreams 🌳📚

Looking forward to discussing with artists and researchers the role of graphic arts in witnessing and consciousness of forced migration in the UK, Ukraine, Afghanistan, the Croatian-Serbian border and Canada. All free, all welcome on 26th October 👉 ticketsource.co.uk/.../2023.…

My cat Bear with Syrian illustrator Sirsa Othman’s beautiful reimagining of Ario and Sara. This year we have been working with a Syrian author, illustrators and WHO Syria to create a “My Hero is You” for survivors of earthquakes in Syria, Turkey and Morocco. Almost there 💜

Discovering eco-therapy this autumn 🌳 hoping to incorporate woodland practice into @kitabnabooks upcoming creative writing project for Ukrainian children in rural Poland this November with Save the Children, and beyond. Nature is restorative 🌿 👉🏼 glastonburynaturalhealth.co.…

The magic of late summer glow-worms in Somerset 💜

Some last minute novel editing in Norfolk, following my protagonist’s journey… falling back in love with summer poppies, so often used in sectarian/wartime imagery, and chatting to locals about legendary Queen Boudicca, who lived here. At my sleeping bag-writing desk 💜🪶

Spidey friend perched atop her own landmark, reminding me why wildflowers make the world go around. #NoMowMay 💜

Thank you Saana @Um_Samira for voicing what the mainstream media is not discussing about the Turkish opposition. My Syrian friends and colleagues in Hatay also fear for their families, months after a deadly earthquake. Racist policies should never be used to win elections 🧵👇🏼

Beautiful photo today from Ani, a psychologist and friend in Armenia, writing with girls in her village. I love teaching creative writing. Especially watching women and girls pick up pens to write their stories, sometimes for the first time - and what happens when they do 💜

So proud of @kitabnabooks co-founder, journalist, Arabic translator and my dear friend @Asia_Haidar for gaining German citizenship. She used her passport for the first time to visit me in England - uniting our Kitabna family! Since Beirut 2014, teamwork makes the dream work 💜

The Turkish gov’s official denial of the Armenian genocide of 1915-23 says: “Each needless death is a tragedy. Equally tragic are lies meant to inflame hatred.” Grateful today to those who work to document each needless death, each life and home erased, in undeniable detail

Beautiful parting gifts from our Armenian partners @CSN_Lab & @m_yeghiazaryan 💜📚 “Many of our interviewers became aware of LGBTQI+ topics for the first time, ‘met people like them’ and found answers to their questions no longer by chance but by consciously looking for them.”