Overview Designer
Frenci (Francesca) Sanna
(Italy)
Illustrator Frenci Sanna (non-binary) was born in 1991 in Sardinia in Italy and currently lives in Zurich. They studied architecture in Cagliari, followed by design and illustration in Switzerland. Their thesis at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts was on the topic of migration. During the research phase, they spoke with migrants from many different countries and, based on these discourses, created a picture book for eight to twelve-year-olds that tells the story of a mother’s flight with her children from a war zone to a place of safety. On their journey by boat, car, train and on foot, they face a variety of dangers that they must overcome together. Frenci has succeeded in capturing the fears of the travelers in an abstract yet understandable way. The book, The Journey (publisher: Flying Eye Books Ltd), was awarded the Gold Medal of the Society of Illustrators New York. The German version was published under the title Die Flucht by NordSüd Verlag.
Frenci has also illustrated the picture book Me and my Fear (publisher: Flying Eye Books Ltd), which vividly tells of the difficulties children experience when starting a new life in a foreign country. The protagonist, initially crushed by her fear, learns over time that everyone is carrying their own fears inside – and that friendships can be formed by sharing these feelings. This publication, which is aimed at three to eight-year-olds, has been very well received and is translated into more than 15 languages. It was published in German under the title Ich und meine Angst by NordSüd Verlag.
