- 05
- July
- 2024
On June 28, editor and author Saria Hanna Moutran signed her fourth children’s book, Gibran Khalil Gibran, the Poet Without Borders, part of the “Great Lebanese Legends” collection, published by Head in the Stars. Telling children the fabulous stories of Lebanese personalities who have made their mark on the world with their talent is a testament to her love for Lebanon.
Saria Hanna Moutran’s journey has been nourished by the stories told in her childhood. “My mother was a fabulous storyteller,” she says. “She turned the ordinary into something extraordinary, and that left a mark on me.” After studying communications in Canada, she attended a business school in Lyon and worked in luxury marketing. Upon returning to Lebanon, she became interested in children’s books. “I used to collect books for my twins, and gradually, the desire to write stories grew. I also wanted to do something for Lebanon, which is going through a very difficult period, and introduce children to the history of Lebanese personalities.” The idea came with the fear that her children would grow up without being proud of their roots and their country. She experimented, conducted research, and after two years, the idea took shape, her writing style was adopted, the text was ready, and the illustrations were done by Bookie, alias Sacha Haddad. “I sent my first story to several publishing houses in Lebanon,” she says. “They were excited about the project but lacked the budget. I was very disappointed, so I decided to found my own publishing house, Head in the Stars, to realize my project.”
The goal of Head in the Stars Publishing is to inspire and encourage children to dream big. The editor states, “There are two gifts we must give our children: roots and wings. Our first collection, ‘Great Lebanese Legends,’ aims to plant a small seed in the heart of every Lebanese child, wherever they live. A seed that will make them proud of their roots and give them wings to accomplish great things.”
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How does the work unfold? The author explains, “I drew up a list of very diverse Lebanese personalities so that children see that there are very different fields and that each personality has their own recipe for success. From there, I begin my research, watch documentaries, meet family members of the personality in question. I recreate the story to make it easy and interesting, I tell it to my children before starting the writing process, drawing inspiration from their questions and reactions. Since it’s a collection, the stories have the same style, the same number of pages and words. I send the text to the illustrator along with a file of videos and images.”
The adventure promises to be beautiful and fulfilling. Four captivating books on four Lebanese celebrities have been published one after the other: Fairouz, Danny Thomas, Charles Malik and Gibran Khalil Gibran. “It also needs to appeal to adults,” the editor notes, “because they read the story to children who cannot yet read. It is a moment of discovery for both. These books have a beautiful format, and are written in Arabic, French and English, for ages 4-11. I hope they will be translated into other languages.”
Thanks to social media, Saria Hanna Moutran can reach the Lebanese diaspora worldwide: “I recently sent books to Colombia and Australia,” she confides. “It is impressive to know that Lebanese people in the diaspora are attached to their roots.”
In hindsight, the author is pleased that the publishing houses refused to publish her first story because, she says, “I had the chance to realize my project the way I wanted. In a few months, I managed to exceed the limits I had set for myself. Today, I have requests from authors, and there will be other collections in the future. This project is limitless because it talks about Lebanon.”
Her next book will be released in September: “It is about a little-known scientist, and for me, it’s a challenge.”
Bibliography
Fairouz, the Voice of Lebanon.
As a child, she sang in her mother’s kitchen and eventually became Lebanon’s ambassador to the stars. Discover the story of a musician from Beirut who revolutionized Arabic music and captivated the world.
Danny Thomas, the Funny Philanthropist.
His talent made him famous, but his heart made him a legend. Discover the story of the Lebanese-American TV star who fulfilled his dream of healing millions of children in need through the creation of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Charles Malik, the Bookish Diplomat.
From reading philosophy books to drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, discover the story of a Lebanese diplomat who dreamed and fought for a fairer world for all.
Gibran Khalil Gibran, the Poet Without Borders.
From a little boy who couldn’t go to school to one of the most famous poets and writers of all time, discover the story of a Lebanese artist, poet and writer, whose words have touched millions of people around the world.
Alice Djermakian
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