On December 5, UNFPA Georgia CO in partnership with Palitra L Publishing and with support of the European Union in Georgia, launched a comic book "Invisible".
14-year-old Nini dreams of adventures, but her fear of change makes her life ordinary and monotonous. One evening she sees a strange creature from her bedroom window, bringing forth a sudden and unexpected change in her life; Nini embarks on a magical adventure and, with the help of her new friend, discovers a great power in herself that was previously invisible.
“Invisible” is a story about a girl who is not afraid of difficulties and seems to be trying to change the unequal environment for the better through small, insignificant steps. This story will once again convince us that there is no obstacle in the world that friendship, love and justice cannot overcome.
“Invisible” is a culturally sensitive and age-appropriate comics for girls and boys aged 13-16, jointly produced by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office and the publishing house "Palitra L" with the support of the European Union.
The author of the comics is Marta Urushadze; the illustrations were created by Tatia Nadareishvili. The script was developed by Martha Urushadze and Mikheil Tsikhelashvili.
Girls will definitely identify themselves or their close friends with the main character of the comics, at least in some way; In the real world, in their families or at school, they must have witnessed attitudes similar to those displayed towards Nini. Nini is a prototype of many invisible girls, she is their voice, speaking up for all of them. There might be many girls, just like Nini, dreaming of being perceived not as an unproblematic and quiet child, but as a confident girl who can not only protect herself in a dangerous adventure, but also save her friends and the world", - we read in the postface by writer Nato Davitashvili.
The comic book is part of the campaign “Do not Differentiate: a Girl and a Boy are both your Future!“, through which the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) reminds everyone that both girls and boys are of equal value to their families, communities and countries.
The comic book was prepared within the frames of the programme “Addressing Gender-Biased Sex Selection and Related Harmful Practices in the South Caucasus” being implemented under the auspices of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and with the support of the European Union.
About the authors:
Marta Urushadze – a writer, screenwriter and film director. She was born in 1993. She graduated from Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film Georgian State University, majoring in Feature Film Directing. She directed three short films. Her debut novel “Lightning Conductor” was published in 2019. She lives and works in Tbilisi.
Tatia Nadareishvili – an illustrator. She was born in 1988. She graduated from Tbilisi State Academy of Arts earning a Bachelor's degree in Illustration in 2009, and a Master’s degree in Advertising Design in 2011. In 2009-2016, she was a member of the Book Art Centre. She works on children's books. Her books have been published in several languages. In addition, she cooperates with publishing houses and organizations within various projects. Since 2016, she has been co-founder of the studio "Illustrator". She is currently a freelance illustrator. She lives and works in Tbilisi.
Mikheil Tsikhelashvili – a writer, translator and comic book editor. He was born in Tbilisi in 1992. He earned his degrees in Art Criticism and Cultural Management. He worked in the Georgian publishing industry for 7 years. His projects include “Persepolis”, “MAUS” a graphic novel “The Knight in the Panther's Skin” and others. He currently lives in Portugal.
