Marianne Martens – illustratör

A polyphonous graphic novel memoir from father and daughter about a boy’s flight and return to war-torn Afghanistan—as well as a fresh retelling of the epic Persian poem The Conference of the Birds.Ahmadjan dreams of becoming an artist, but finds few opportunities in tumultuous Afghanistan. So he leaves ... and thus begins a colorful, zigzagging path that is not just a powerful meditation on art, war, and the meaning of life—as well as a stunning collection of a myriad of different illustration forms—but a singular retelling of the legendary Persian epic The Conference of the Birds. By the end of Papa Drew a Thousand Birds, you realize Ahmadjan and his daughter Maren are telling this story together, and their birds have flown their way into your heart.