The IBBY Silent Book collection comes to Brighton

The International Board on Books for Young people (IBBY) Silent Books collection has arrived at the University of Brighton’s Curriculum Centre in Falmer.

The display will run until mid-October and is a great resource for our education and teaching students as they return for the new academic year.

The collection was formed in response to the waves of refugees from Africa and the Middle East arriving in Lampedusa. IBBY launched the project ‘Silent Books, from the world to Lampedusa and back’ in 2012 which involved creating the first library on Lampedusa to be used by both local and recently-arrived children.

Every few years, a collection of silent books (wordless picture books) to be enjoyed by children regardless of language has been collected from IBBY National Sections. One set of books is deposited at Rome’s Palazzo della Esposizioni, one set is delivered to the library in Lampedusa, and a further set forms the travelling exhibition, which goes all around the world.

Curriculum Centre coordinator Mandy Williams said: “There are 74 books in the 2017 collection, which we was due to come to us over a year ago, but was delayed due to Covid.

“The latest collection is, I believe, somewhere in Australia, having started its world tour in Korea and then New Zealand. We are very fortunate to have been chosen to host many IBBY collections over the years.”