Why a Booktrail?
1960s – 1980s: The story of a young Romani girl Katitzi and her family,
Rosa and Paul & Katitzi in Stockholm
What you need to know before your trail
It’s winter. Katitzi is now 11 years old. She lives with her family in a camp in Sköndal outside Stockholm. There she is playing in the woods with her friends Mauritz and Marianne. But in the shadow of the children’s play, father Taikon is worried. There is war in Europe. Katitzi and her family, who don’t get any ration cards, start to find it very difficult to make a living. One day Katitzi decides to help by selling Christmas cards. She takes the bus to town and buys postcards for 10 cents each at the department store Åhlen & Åkerlund.
“Poor little thing, are you a refugee? Here you get some money,” says an old man when Katitzi asks if he wants to buy her Christmas cards.
Then Katitzi has an idea.
Travel Guide
Stockholm
Author and human rights activist Katarina Taikon wrote 13 books about the young Romani girl Katitzi and her family, between 1969 and 1980. The stories include themes such as injustice, ignorance and exclusion. These are new editions of the books by journalist Lawen Mohtadi in collaboration with Katarina Taikon’s daughter Angelica Ström.
Each new edition consists of two of the original books, with new illustrations by Joanna Hellgren, celebrated illustrator.
Taikon’s most famous work, the semi-autobiographical book series “Katitzi” tells the story of a young Romani girl growing up in 1940’s Sweden. Written primarily for children, the series, which was televised in 1979, was also a thought-provoking read for adults as it challenges the prejudices of educated people.
As a 9-year old, lead character “Katitzi” returns to her Romani family from an orphanage where her innocence helps to give a stark portrayal of the prejudices faced by the Roma in Sweden at the time.
Promoting inter-cultural understanding, the books awoke older readers to the realities of social and political shortcomings in Sweden and beyond.She was born in the Swedish town of Orebro in 1932, Katarina was one of few to speak up for the Roma in Sweden despite their long history in the country.
Rosa spoke powerfully about her experiences as a Roma in the twentieth century and was especially critical of Roma access to education.
She said: “I never went to school until I was 33 years old even though I am a Swedish citizen, born in Sweden.”
In 1982, Katarina suffered a heart attack and fell into a coma. She never woke up and died in 1995 at the age of 63. Her insights into a Romani upbringing in Sweden still resonate with Roma of all ages across Europe.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Rosa and Paul & Katitzi in Stockholm
Destination : Stockholm Author/Guide: Katarina Taikon Departure Time: 1960s – 1980s
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