Professor Josep Cervelló inspires a popular science book for children and young readers
ClarBooks recently published Per què soc egiptòleg? [Why am I an Egyptologist?], which aims to spark an interest in Egyptology among the youngest readers by exposing them to the adventures of Josep Cervelló, lecturer at the Department of Antiquity and Middle Age Studies. The book will be presented on 15 September at an event with Josep Cervelló and author of the book, Jordi Ortiz, which will take place at the Casa del Llibre bookstore located on Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona.
The book is intended for readers aged 8 and older, although adults can also enjoy reading it. It contains highly accurate information based on the personal experiences of Josep Cervelló, who was in charge of proofreading the book, and aims to serve as a basic and literary introduction on the studies of Egyptology. The book also includes a glossary with a long list of terms and links to multimedia contents.
The book’s text was written by Jordi Ortiz, author of over twenty children’s books and winner of several literary prizes, while the illustrations were done by renowned artist Àfrica Fanlo. Featuring Professor Cervelló, the story is based on his life’s work, with a focus on how a child with curiosity ends up becoming an Egyptologist. “The book is a compilation of many extended conversations with the author and the drawings are magnificent, some of them based on photographs from different stages of my life”, the UAB researcher explains.
The book is available in Catalan and Spanish, and not only includes references to the UAB and the master’s degree in Egyptology, directed by Professor Cervelló, but also to the over 100 unique statuettes recently discovered in the tomb of high priest Imephor at Saqqara during an archaeological campaign conducted by Professor Cervelló's research team.