Bare Rroma Project Edition 3 2026

BARE RROMA, Edition III/2026

Bare rroma, a mysterious name for an ordinary Romanian speaker, is in itself a small manifesto. Bare rroma means great or important people in the Romani language, and it is the name of our project that tells stories about Roma personalities.

Bare rroma has reached its third edition and brings a first: while the first two editions brought contemporary personalities to the forefront, this edition is dedicated to Roma figures from the past who are essential to history but too little known. Four new stories about Roma heroines and heroes thus become a living source of inspiration for children.

These are four books that challenge us to see beyond stereotypes and to discover role models of talent, courage and perseverance: a queen of lăutărească music, a sociologist and activist, a flamenco dancer and an actor beloved by the whole world. The heroes and heroines were chosen by the eight young people who wrote the books themselves, under the guidance of writer Iulia Iordan and journalist Ana Maria Ciobanu.

Bare Rroma is the first and only series of illustrated stories for children in Europe featuring Roma heroines and heroes. A multiple award winner for innovation, the project uses literature as a tool for valuing diversity and inclusion.

For the first time, the Bare Rroma books will also be translated into English, becoming cultural ambassadors that carry Roma history and culture to an international audience.

Partners: Roma Education Fund Romania Foundation, Comunitățile Viitorului Association, British Council and EduPedu

Collaborator: University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Romani Language and Literature Study Programme

BARE RROMA BOOKS

The books can be read in full, free of charge, in digital format, on our website, in bilingual editions (Romanian-Romani and English-Romani).
As part of the third edition (2026), 4,000 copies of the four books reach 15,000 children through teachers and librarians across the country.

BARE RROMA AUTHORS

The eight authors and translators are students at the University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Romani Language and Literature Study Programme. The four books were written following ten creative writing workshops, under the guidance of writer Iulia Iordan and journalist Ana Maria Ciobanu.
The translation into Romani was done by the eight writers, under the coordination of Professor Alexandru Zamfir.

If I had had these books when I was younger, I would have been much more confident, especially if I could have read them together with my classmates. These stereotypes about the Roma community would not have formed. We, those in the Roma community, have the feeling that we are not enough, that we have been pushed aside. I hope this book will heal that feeling, so that readers, children and adults alike, no longer feel the need to hide, no longer have this fear, and feel proud of who they are. - David Mitoi, The Queen of Lăutărească Music

Carmen Amaya went down in history for a reason, and the fact that she was Roma must be known and remembered with the same force with which she lived.

Children's books with Roma characters are needed precisely so that future generations receive answers to questions such as “who am I”, “who were my ancestors”, “what stories belong to my people” and, most importantly, receive complete answers from the community's perspective. They function as a benchmark, an anchor for the Roma population. - Arina Costea, La Capitana

What stayed with me is that Nicolae was always brave and never wanted to put others in danger. If there had been books with Roma characters when I was little, I would probably have been braver. And the fact that I wrote about Nicolae Gheorghe gives me more confidence in who I am. - Urdoi Sorina Maria, Nicolae's Scarf

We really wanted to emphasize in the story his courage and determination to learn as much as possible about his own culture and Roma history, and the pride he showed after learning all this. - Mihai Antonia, Nicolae's Scarf

Throughout history, many of us have been ridiculed. Minorities have every right to see characters like them, to see that they too are people, that they too are worthy and can become just as great as other communities can. A Roma child can become a great lawyer, just like a child who is not Roma.  - Rares Negoiță, Charlie's Dream

Charlie Chaplin is a character known by the whole world, but not many people know that he was Roma. That is why we chose him, because I want this to be known, that we too can be known for things other than dance and music.

If there had been such books when I was a child, it would have been much easier for children not to feel so hurt and ashamed of their ethnicity; reading these books, they would realize that other Roma people have also done great things and that they can follow in their footsteps. - Gabriela Costache, Charlie's Dream

ILLUSTRATORS

EDITORS, COPY EDITOR & ROMANI TRANSLATION COORDINATOR

BEYOND THE BARE RROMA BOOKS

Each of the four BARE RROMA books is accompanied by a teaching guide with diversity education activities that reinforce the books' messages. All four guides are available online, free of charge, on the association's website.

The project also includes two online training courses on diversity education and ethnic identity for the teachers and librarians who will use the books.

The four books are not available in bookstores. 4,000 printed copies are distributed free of charge to teachers and librarians across the country through the network of our project partners, Roma Education Fund and the Comunitățile Viitorului Association.

THE BARE RROMA PROJECT IN NUMBERS

• 4 illustrated children's books about 4 Roma personalities from history;

• 4,000 books distributed free of charge to 1,000 teachers and librarians;

• 15,000 children who get to read and work with the books;

• 4 teaching guides that explore the messages of the 4 books in depth;

• over 1,000 teacher participations in 2 online training courses on diversity education;

• bilingual editions available free of charge online, in Romanian, Romani and English.

BARE RROMA Edition 1, 2022

Discover here the four books from the first bilingual edition (2023) and here the four titles from the second edition (2024).

In 2023, the first edition of the Bare rroma project received 2nd PRIZE in the “Education and Schooling” Section at the Civil Society Gala, as well as the award in the “Social Inclusion and Intercultural Dialogue” category at the AFCN Awards Gala. It was also nominated at the Itsy Bitsy Gala, in the “Social Inclusion” section.

The “BARE RROMA” project is co-financed by AFCN (the Administration of the National Cultural Fund) and runs from January to November 2026.

The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or for the way in which the project's results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grant beneficiary.