At the 2023 edition of the AnimaPIX festival, artistic director Terry Costa (who is also the book's translator) presented Yi Wen Huang's work, for the first time in Portuguese, to a group of young people who expressed great interest in the work theme's. "This, being the first book in translation, for the publisher Néveda Ent., is a new challenge," admits Terry Costa. "Era uma vez um comboio na ilha", in addition to winning the AnimaPIX 2022 Prize - Illustrated Book, it was selected for the Bologna Illustration Award and received first prize at the Picture Book Awards of the Taiwan National Museum of Human Rights. "My goal with this work is to see it used by teachers when talking about human rights, about dictatorships, about how to build a better world," expresses Terry Costa.

Once upon a time there was a train that suddenly entered the island. In the beginning, the so-called "Powerful Train" roamed freely around the island, suppressing any vitality. Slowly, the people of the island realized the situation. The train could transport everything and everyone by force, relying on people's norms, their likes and dislikes to determine life and death. When they board the train, they embark on a purposeless journey where time and youth silently disappear. The tracks left by this train are the history and stories that it vaguely evokes in people's memories. However, the memory path can be obscure. Only those who continue to research and question can bring light to a new generation, because the reality is that trains like this can always come back.

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: MiratecArts;

Yi Wen Huang is a Taiwanese illustrator who began her professional illustration career just five years ago. She loves experimenting with different materials and textures, adding variety to her works, which is crucial when it comes to creating picture books. The author admits that her work is for all ages to enjoy. Yi Wen Huang is an artist who lives in modern times, and uses images and text symbols to record events, pay homage to the past and her ancestors, connecting art, literature and life history through illustrated books.

"Era uma vez um comboio na ilha" is available this December at your favorite Azorean bookstore - ask for it. www.nevedapico.com