Meet Nohaila Chakir
Nohaila was born and raised in Marrakech. As a child she read French books and loved them, but she always wished for stories with her own name in them, or the names of her friends. She went on to a Master's degree at the École supérieure des arts visuels de Marrakech and decided to be the one who draws those books.
Her images come from her childhood memories, from the holidays she spent in the countryside, surrounded by nature. She draws traditionally and digitally, with a very sensitive touch, in her studio at home, with her cats for company.
One of her books, حين يكتمل القمر, was created in collaboration with Project SOAR to explain the menstrual cycle to young girls. It is the book she wished she had been given when she got her first period. She is also working on a collection in collaboration with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (DEZA), Construire en pisé dans les zones à risque sismique, which helps ordinary families build their homes in the Atlas Mountains using sustainable materials.
A young illustrator, Nohaila draws for the new generation of Moroccan children, so that they grow up proud to be Moroccan and close to their roots. Her hope is simple: "I hope children who read my book will feel seen and understood."
Works
BOOK LAUNCH
حين يكتمل القمر
When the Moon Becomes Full
At Agafay Books, we publish books that are real and speak about Moroccan reality, so that every child and young adult can find themselves in what they read
NEW IN
Our new books are arriving.
Pre-order now and receive a free notebook with your order.