In the deep corners of my memory, where the shadows of the past whisper and the ghosts of my childhood hide, I discovered a gap.

A gap that needed to be filled, not just for me, but for all those who could never quite find themselves in the stories we were told. My childhood was like a colorful mosaic of German, Polish, Czech and Russian fairy tales and children’s stories. They were my first companions into the world of fantasy, they taught me to dream and to hope. They are a part of me and always will be.

But they are only a part.

Because somewhere in the depths of these stories, something was missing – something that looked like me, something I could identify with. Heroes who were like me.

Today – as a multicultural child – I realized that we should not only grow up with the stories that are told to us in the country in which we were born, but also with those that show us the diversity of our world. Because there is so much more to learn, discover and understand.

I believe that no matter where you come from, you have a right to hear stories that represent you. Stories that show you how diverse and wonderful our world is. Stories that teach you that there is not just one way to be a hero.

Stories that teach you about the cultures, customs and traditions of other countries (maybe even where some of your family comes from) and help you better understand your own roots.

I have hundreds of sheets of paper, sketches and idea drawings waiting to be brought to life. It would be a shame to let them gather dust in the silence of my notebooks. Because I’m sure you, your children, your siblings and your grandchildren might like them.

I chose the name „Blackheroesstories“, but not because of skin color or categorical racial prejudice.

The name is a tribute to Africa’s troubled history and symbolizes the quest for liberation and „progress“ from that dark past.

We live in a complex world, and advancing digitalization does not make this complexity any easier. It brings new challenges, but also offers new opportunities.

With „Blackheroesstories“, I want to use these opportunities to tell my previously untold, fictional stories with an African connection and thus usher in a new era of storytelling …