red bird library

Geographical Location: Qasem-Abad Tehranchi Village, Tehran
Library Manager: Maryam Zavvareh
Start Date: June 2021
Supporter: Ava Rastegar

“Red Bird” is the symbol of hope and renewal; the sign of a journey from darkness, coldness and sorrow toward light and color and happiness. The library in Qasem-Abad village was named “Red Bird” to be a harbinger of change, just like the book that inspired its name.

Qasem-Abad Tehranchi village is located 15 kilometers outside of Tehran, near the brick kilns on the road to Khavaran. The site of the library was formerly the caretaker suite of an old and neglected school. In the last weeks of spring 2021, with the help of Qasem-Abad village management, this suite was rebuilt and a part of the school yard in front of the suite was fenced off. The beautiful and safe building now serves as a library for the children of the village.

In April 2021, about 500 volumes of books and handbooks and a setting package were sent to the library. Along with preparing the library and registering the books, the librarian participated in a children’s literature and reading aloud workshop, too. Red Bird Library was ready to host children of Qasem-Abad in June 2021.

The village has a population of around 3500 people, 600 of whom are children and adolescents who go to three schools located near the library. One kilometer further, there are children who live and work in brick kilns. As such, the location of the library makes it accessible to all the children in the vicinity.

A beautiful canvas which is painted based on the illustrations in Marit Törnqvist’s Red Bird is kindly dedicated to Read with Me project and Qasem-Abad library by Törnqvist and Astrid Lindgren’s Family. The canvas was prepared for an exhibition of Marit Törnqvist’s works, called “The Island of Happiness”, which was held in her hometown, near Astrid Lindgren’s house in Vimmerby, Sweden, in 2019.