Constance Örbeck Nilsen & Akin Düzakin | Norway
Our picture book is about taking responsibility and giving help and support to those that needs us. It is about environmental conscience and moral engagement.
On Svalbard island in a remote Norwegian archipelago, close to the north pole lies a vast global seed bank buried inside a frozen mountain. This bank is filled with humanity’s precious treasure, the largest and most diverse seed collection. There are more than a half billion seeds containing the world’s most prized crops, a safeguard against catastrophic starvation.
Growing climate change can undermine food production and threaten the diversity of plants around the world. Apocalyptic natural disaster or a nuclear war can threaten our existence too.
The future of the human race in worse case depends on this frozen collection of seeds.
We wanted to tell a story that shows children and remind grown-ups the importance of this issue. In this story, we listen to voice of the bird which is the awareness of the child / boy searching a solution to bring life back after a tremendous devastation of his land. The child is the observer, the bird is the messenger, and the seed represents a new start.
The manuscript and the sketches are the result of a close cooperation between us; Constance Örbeck Nilsen, the writer and Akin Düzakin, the illustrator. We have produced several picture books together previously.
Education:
National academy of the Arts in Oslo, Norway
Graphic design and illustration
Graduation: 1994
Published titles: 50