Mylo Freeman
(Netherlands) is Dutch-American. After her studies at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, she lived for several years in New York. She worked for magazines and started creating children's books. In 1998 she won the Kiekebook Prize for Potje!, which also apeared in translation. In the meantime she has produced about 50 picture books and is best known for her 12-part Princess Arabella series, now also a puppet series, an app and a play. It helps fill a much needed niche: picture books with more diversity. Freeman also leads workships, gives readings and appears in musical performances. She is the chair of Stichting3, which aims to stimulate diversity in children's literature via children's book festivals and reading-aloud competitions.
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Archive available for: Mylo Freeman
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Dakota's Winternachten Verhalenfestival: Talkshow
With: Cynthia Mc Leod, Mylo Freeman, Vamba Sherif, Walter Palm
A talk show about the most wonderful differences in culture, habits, language and literature, addressing the theme of "What is normal". With stories from the neighbourhood as well as discussions and presentations by writer Cynthia McLeod (Suriname), children's books writer and illustrator Mylo Freeman and poet Walter Palm.
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Dakota's Winternachten Verhalenfestival: Princess Arabella
With: Mylo Freeman
Tip. Mylo Freeman will also appear on Friday, 17 January at Friday Night Unlimited, a varied festival night with 24 events in six rooms at the Theater aan het Spui and the The Hague Filmhuis. And in Dakota's talkshow on Sunday 19 January.
In Mylo Freeman's picturebooks you will mainly see colored children as the main character. Why is that? Some years ago Mylo heard a story about a little girl called Jahkini. She was given the role of princess in a schoolplay but she categorically refused. 'Black princesses do not exist!', she answered. After Mylo heard this story she decided to do something about it right away. She decided to make a picturebook about a princess of color and that became princess Arabella! Meanwhile there are 13 books published. -
The Best Books You've Never Heard of
What role do the doorkeepers of literature play - publishers, editors, booksellers, agents and scouts - when it comes to the colour filter? Who ultimately decides what is "good literature" and on what basis? We discuss the issue with Ellah Wakatama, Editor-at-Large of Scottish publishing firm Cannongate Books, Ebissé Rouw, editor at Dutch podcast platform Dipsaus Publicaties, and Mylo Freeman, writer and illustrator of children's books best known for her Princess Arabella picture-book series.
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Book of My Life: Mylo Freeman
Writers tell us about their favourite book: the book that inspires or touches them, that set their artistic, moral or intellectual compass. In short, the book they would recommend to everyone. Interview: Jet Steinz.
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Image-makers and image-breakers
Decolonize the Mind 3: How does the process of decolonization unfold in the living room of the average television watcher, in the established historiography at universities, and in youth literature?
During the Friday Night Unlimited program, several events will focus on the decolonization of the mind. How free is our mind, what does freedom mean, and are we truly free, or caught in the framework of our culture, society and history? This theme is partly based on the essay collection Decolonizing the Mind by the Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiong'o, in which he discusses colonized language and how its influence is still notable. Since he believes that language plays a constructive role in culture, history and identity, he arguest for "linguistic decolonization".
A discussion between documentarian, writer and journalist Sunny Bergman, historian and lecturer at Leiden University Karwan Fatah-Black, and children's book writer and illustrator Mylo Freeman, best known for his Princess Arabella picture book series.
