Nadine KaadanNadine Kaadan

Award-winning author & illustrator Nadine from Damascus champions inclusive representation in children's books, illuminating Syria's heritage. Her works, including 'Answer me, Leila!' and 'Tomorrow,' delicately navigate special needs and war's impact, garnering global acclaim and educational use.

“‎‏Since the age of 8, I have not stopped writing and illustrating children’s books. I knew it was my calling in life. I distributed my first children’s magazine to my 5th grade classmates, and 20 years later, as an award-winning children’s book author & illustrator spreading a reading culture inspired by Syria’s rich heritage, I touch upon delicate subjects like children with special needs, the current troubled situation, and stories that are plain fun. I am passionate about inclusive representation in children’s books. I am from Damascus, now living in London where I have completed a Master’s in Communication Design in Kingston University & a Master’s in Art & Politics at Goldsmiths University.”

Nadine’s book ‘Answer me, Leila!’, which won the Anna Lindh award for the best fiction book for children with special needs in 2011, is being used to teach Arabic at Harvard University & Tufts University. The Guardian featured & recommended it along with her book ‘The Jasmine Sneeze’; one of the 1st children’s books in the UK that mention Syria’s long and proud culture & heritage in a period of history disfigured by war.
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Her latest book ‘Tomorrow’ is about the daily life of a little boy during the Syrian conflict, based on Nadine’s own experience living in Syria during the first year of war. It was highly recommended by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra & included in the Outstanding International Books List by the US Board on Books for Young People.
‎‏Besides visiting & reading her books at schools across the UK, giving writing & illustration workshops to children, she was invited to many book fairs, conferences & festivals in the UK (London, Cambridge, Edinburgh & Brighton) as well as Gothenburg Book Fair 2016, Abu Dhabi Book Fair 2017 & the Arab Conference at Harvard University 2018. In 2019, she won the Arab British Centre Award for Culture, was nominated for the Asian Women of Achievement Award 2020, and selected as one of The BBC 100 Women 2020’s ‘most influential and inspiring women’. Since the pandemic began, her focus is creating fun & engaging workshops online for children to enjoy from home.