A priori, nothing distinguishes Brune-feuille the prince marries and other inclusive tales many other children’s storybooks that you will find in bookstores. But his story is anything but ordinary. Published by Talents Hauts and released on October 20, 2022, this collection not only piqued our interest in its reinterpretation of fairy tales and its desire to address gender issues.
The release of this collective work published in Hungary in 2020, Meseorszag Mindenkiethis is “A fairy tale for everyone” in French, it could have remained completely confidential. Labrysz, a Hungarian lesbian association, coordinated the 17 stories written by authors from different backgrounds, established or emerging, and illustrated by Lilla Bölecz.
They tackle discrimination, differences, injustices and exclusion from a child’s point of view, taking up the codes of fairy tales and reinterpreting them, some of which are well known, such as Snow White Where is it Cinderella. At the beginning, Meseorszag Mindenkie it is mainly dedicated to be distributed in schools and to serve as a teaching aid for teachers. In its first printing it reached 1,500 copies.
“Our goal was to make children’s literature more diverse in Hungary and show children how colorful and wonderful life is. We wanted stories that reflected the lives of all young people. entrusted to TIME Boldizsar Nagy, book coordinator, with Dorottya Redai.
A storybook torn apart by a politician
The story could have ended there if the far right hadn’t targeted this storybook, where two princes fall in love with each other, where a heroine is a gypsy and where a princess has dull skin (we almost reminiscent of a not so old controversy…).
Shortly after her release, Dóra Dúró, MP from the Nationalist and Conservative Party Our Homeland Movementalso staged pass the book through the grinder, page after pageduring a press conference.
Guaranteed Streisand effect: the parliamentarian certainly did not expect her little homophobic publicity stunt to give the book such visibility, to the point of increasing the number of sales, but above all to offer it sudden visibility far beyond the borders.
Later, Prime Minister Viktor Orban himself got involved, urging the book’s publishers to do so “leave the kids alone” : “Hungary has laws on homosexuality which are based on an exceptionally tolerant and patient approach. But there is a limit that should not be crossed. » A thinly veiled threat to LGBTQI+ associations mobilized to defend freedom of expression. The book then became an emblem of resistance to Viktor Orban’s policy.
A year later, in 2021, activist Dorottya Redai, one of the coordinators of the book, was included in the prestigious list of the 100 most influential people in the world. TIME.
From, Meseorszag Mindenkie it has been translated into ten languages.
The support of Talents Hauts, a committed publishing house
Logically, it is Talents Hauts that publishes in France Brune-feuille the prince marries and other inclusive tales. First of all, it is a question of publishing a beautiful collection of short stories in French, but also that the independent publishing house continues to show its commitment to this type of project. “We have been trying to respond in very different ways to sexism, racism and all forms of discrimination for 18 years”explains Laurence Faron, director of the publishing house known for its choice of books that tackle stereotypes.
“It is also a question of solidarity, even of sisterhood with this Hungarian publishing house which has been discriminated against. State censorship is not to be taken lightly when one is a victim of it, even if it made the book a success. Our support, even symbolic, is precious to them. »
In August 2021, the Conservative government of Viktor Orban passed a measure requiring the sale of children’s books dealing with LGBTQI+ topics in packaging and banning their sale within 200 meters of a school or church. . Other laws have since been passed further limiting the rights of women and LGBTQI people.
We are therefore not far from a happy ending Perfect. But the history of this inclusive Hungarian short story collection proved that it is only possible to challenge the prevailing conservatism with stories for children…
Source: Madmoizelle
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
