São Paulo –Harking back to when the hijab (the veil that covers women’s heads) started being worn to arranged marriages, the lives of women in Yemen is the subject of the graphic novel O Mundo de Aisha (Aisha’s World), due for release in Brazil in March from publishing company Editora Nemo.
Based on true stories, the comic book is written and illustrated by Italy’s Ugo Bertotti, inspired by the pictures and interviews of Agnes Montanari, a photojournalist who’s also Italian and spent three months in Yemen, speaking with 30-plus women.
The characters Aisha, Sabiha, Hamedda and others share their hardships, including arranged marriages, submission to their husbands, and having to wear the niqab, a black scarf that covers their faces, leaving only their eyes visible. The bravery and determination displayed by the characters, who struggle for freedom, permeate the comic book’s plot.
The original Italian version was released in October 2013. Later on, a French version came out. The translation into Portuguese was made in Brazil by Fernando Scheibe. There is no Arabic version.
Bertotti holds a degree from the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera in Milan. He is currently working with graphic design, illustration and animation. In 2012, he published the comic book/news report Mulheres do Iêmen (The Women of Yemen).
Besides being a photojournalist, Montanari is also a documentary filmmaker and has lived in several countries such as India, Bangladesh, Georgia, and Jordan. In the latter, he worked in aiding Syrian child refugees.
Details:
O Mundo de Aisha
Author: Ugo Bertotti
Translated by: Fernando Scheibe
Price: R$ 39.90 (roughly US$ 13.90 at current exchange rate)
Pages: 144
Dimensions: 17×24 cm
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
