“Kurdistan: Dispatches from the Iraqi Front”. Graphic tales of Iraq

Presentation in Rome by graphic artists Claudio Calia and Zerocalcare

Rome, 1st February 2018 – Using graphics to describe Iraq and the opinions and views of its young people resisting war and extremism.

This is the heart of “Kurdistan: Despatches from the Iraqi Front”,(Beccogiallo, 2017), a book by Paduan graphic journalist Claudio Calia, who relates the work of the NGO “Un Ponte Per…” in Iraq, which is about to be presented in Rome by the author and by Zerocalcare.

It will be presented on 9th February at 18.30 in the Csoa “Sans Papier” (Via Carlo Felice 69, Rome). The event will begin with a panel discussion between Claudio Calia, Zerocalcare, Ozlem Tanrikulu (representing the Kurdistan information Office in Italy) and Martina Pignatti Morano (UPP President). This will be followed by dinner and music in aid of the Ararat Centre.

The NGO “Un Ponte Per…’, which has been working to help Iraq’s  civilian population for more than 26 years, first worked with Calia –  who is one of Italy’s first graphic journalists – in 2016.

His book about this mission was finalised in collaboration with the “Ya Basta Caminantes” Association, and was published a year later in December 2017.

“Travelling to Iraq with a humanitarian project was the natural progression of my work as a graphic journalist: It was a wonderful opportunity to use my favourite story-telling technique to describe this complex and tragic situation which sadly, is often overlooked”, the author explains.

During his travels, Calia encountered many of the young Iraqi, Syrian and Kurdish people who run the Youth Centres opened by  “Un Ponte Per…” to provide opportunities for interaction and dialogue. Calia even offered courses in graphic journalism in the centres.

His drawings of these young people feature in his book.