As part of our focus on migratory birds, we had the opportunity to speak with the authors of the book “The Philhellene Fighter,” Sotiria Antoniou and Anthi Dima. Through this interview, they shared their thoughts on their work and the writing process.

The authors explained that the inspiration for the book came from their studies in Italy, as they completed their internship in the city where the book’s protagonist, Santorre di Santarosa, was born—Turin. “The occasion for writing the book was the 200th anniversary of his death,” Ms. Antoniou emphasized. With the help of articles from the city hall archives, as well as online sources, they began writing the story.

However, they also mentioned a challenge they faced during its creation. Since the book had to be written in simple language so that it could be understood by all readers, this proved to be a demanding task—which, as they said, they successfully managed to accomplish.

Ms. Dima, who is a teacher, then pointed out that what motivated her to write the book was the exclusion experienced by children with learning difficulties, who often lack appropriate support. She stressed the importance of having books like this for children who think in different ways, which is why this particular story was created. In closing, she stated that she is willing to write more accessible stories for children: “It is my dream,” she said.

This story captured my interest in many ways. First of all, the plot was engaging, with the protagonist described and portrayed exceptionally well. It was simple and easy to understand, using accessible vocabulary for readers who do not have Greek as their first language or who have learning difficulties. The colors used in the book’s illustrations are based on a specific palette, allowing individuals with color blindness to distinguish them clearly.

While reading the story, as a teenager with a learning difficulty, I found it easy to understand. I would recommend it to parents to read to their children, as well as to teenagers who would like to read something different.

In conclusion, our discussion with the authors helped us gain a deeper understanding of their work and intentions. They demonstrated that it is not difficult to include and support all children in having access to reading stories.