INNA DANYLIUK’s tale of dragons and friendship has Malta’s sister island as a backdrop. Lara Zammit sits down with the author, currently taking refuge in Gozo from war in Ukraine, to find out more.

Inna Danyliuk, a Ukrainian writer who has been living in Gozo since April 2022, wrote a book for children about the “wonderful island” published by the Ukrainian publishing house The Black Sheep.

Чарівні Дракони Острова Ґозо (The Magical Dragons of Gozo) is a story about friendship between Ukrainian girl Yulia and Gozitan boy Julian.

Yulia and her mother came to Malta fleeing the war in Ukraine. The girl soon made friends with a local boy, Julian, as they both like animals and want to become animal advocates in the future. While Yulia’s parents support their daughter fully, it is not so simple for Julian since his father is a fisherman and his mother is a cook in a fish restaurant: they do not accept the boy’s ideas about rescuing the wild inhabitants of the Mediterranean.

Danyliuk says the book is dedicated to Gozitans Claude Calleja and John Bartolo and to all people who helped the author escape the war in Ukraine and sheltered her and her family in Gozo.

“This is the first book written by a Ukrainian author about Malta!” Danyliuk says.

The Magical Dragons of Gozo is a story about friendship between Ukrainian girl Yulia and Gozitan boy Julian. Illustrations: Anna Vilchynska

“I had never been to Gozo before I escaped from the war in Ukraine. So, when I stepped onto the island and later went to the old town of Victoria, I was impressed by the beauty of the sea, landscapes and architecture of old Victoria. It was a huge contrast between Ukraine on fire and a peaceful island that for me was just magical.

“Finally I had found a safe place for myself and my three-year-old son.”

Danyliuk recounted how she was overwhelmed by the hospitality of the locals who all wanted to lend a hand in any way they could.

“I started to meet amazing people: everybody on the island wanted to help us! Literally everyone!” she says.

“I will never forget the lady who was leaving some money in the grocery store in Victoria for me and my son. I never met her, I don’t know her name, but when I would go to the store, I could take some food for free because she wanted to help us this way. And she only heard about us – that Ukrainian refugee mother and son who came to Victoria!

“I was impressed that people had such a big heart, and I’m grateful to everyone and every single moment of my life.”

One of the spots the characters visit is Ramla Bay.

Danyliuk says that this great sense of generosity led her to dedicate her book to all Gozitans and to everyone who helped her escape from the war to shelter in what she calls a “magical island”.

When she started to travel around the island, the author says she was impressed by Gozo’s environment − the cliffs, sea, caves, fish, octopuses and turtles.

“Everything in Gozo was very different from the nature and wildlife of Ukraine, so I was just keeping all my impressions inside me and started to think about the book.

“I started to create a story about the wildlife of Gozo, but something was missing. Then, in Dwejra Bay (which is still one of my favourite spots on the island), I saw a frejgatina with wooden dragons carved on its sides. Here they were! My magical dragons of Gozo! The story was complete in my mind, I just had to write it down.”

The book is full of illustrations describing the island, produced by Danyliuk sending pictures and videos to her illustrator Anna Vilchynska, whom the author says managed to create a very realistic portrait of contemporary Gozo.

The main locations of the book are Marsalforn, Ramla Bay, Wied il-Għasri and the National Aquarium in Malta.

Danyliuk also reached out to translators to have her story rendered in English and Maltese.

“The translation into English was made by one of the best Ukrainian translators Andriy Masliukh (who is now also living in Gozo because of the war in Ukraine), and the translation from English to Maltese was made by Tonio and Sue Privitelli who are based in Brussels,” she explains.

The author says she was impressed by Gozo’s environment.

The author has plans to also publish the book in Maltese to make it available for local readers.

The message of the book is simple − wildlife is beautiful but vulnerable, and we must stand up for it, just like the main characters in the book do, concludes the author.

A short snippet from the English translation of Inna Danyliuk’s The Magical Dragons of Gozo

The parents agreed that Yulia’s mother, Maryna, would take the children to Ramla Bay by bus, and Salvino would take them home by sea with the luzzu: it was the best option for everyone.

And so the children are already walking from the bus stop down to the beach. The road runs between two large hills, with villages on top of each of them. Near the foothills, there are grounds planted with beans, tomatoes and spinach. Near the entrance to the beach, the vegetables are replaced by bamboo thicket − tall and rustling. Yulia is looking and listening in amazement.

“What is it that is cracking so loudly?” she asks Julian. “Cicadas?”

“Yes, cicadas,” answers the boy casually. “Don’t you have them?”

“Maybe we have, somewhere, but I haven’t met them yet,” answered the girl quietly, as if she was afraid to scare the insects with her voice.

“I think we have some in Crimea,” Maryna interjected, “someday we’ll go there together!”

They reached the red sand of Ramla Bay. Yulia was impatiently jumping from board to board along the wood-paved path. Julian was also anxious to get to the turtle’s nest as soon as possible, but he pretended to be calm.

To the left of the path leading to the beach, between the coast guard post and boulders, they can see a green volunteers’ tent from which a fence of bamboo reeds is going down to the sea. That’s where the nest is!

Keep abreast of the author’s work on facebook.com/inna.danyliuk. The book in Ukrainian is available on books-xxi.com.ua/products/charivni-drakoni-na-ostrovi-gozo.