Publisher
Abdelaziz
Mouride, the father of Moroccan cartoons, nicknamed her "the acrobat of
the world of publishing". When Nadia Essalmi became, in 1982, Moroccan champion of gymnastics, she
did not imagine that, later, she would obstinately devote herself to publishing
children's books. Because of
perseverance was necessary for this lady from Casablanca born in a country
where reading is not experienced as a necessity. She first taught Oriental dance, wanted to set
up a gym but eventually became a publisher. Today, she passionately advocates for reading. Her message comes down to an imperative message:
"Read, read, read!”, she says. In 1998, she created the Yomad publishing
house, which from the beginning displayed the ambition to publish quality texts
for children and young people. Yomad publishes Moroccan authors and several of its books get awards, such
as the Grand Atlas Prize, the Young Reader Award and the Michel Tournier Prize. Nadia Essalmi is on all fronts: "I read the
manuscripts, do the layout, take care of the follow-up and I even do secretarial
work! Besides
that, she has being hosting on a regular basis for six years now a literary
café for grown-ups. In 2013,
she got a medal from the French Academic Society for Education and the Encouragement
of Arts, Science, and Humanities “ for her contribution to culture. But what really drives the publisher are kids:
"They are the pivot of all my actions”. Nadia Essalmi is the initiator of
"Read to grow " and her NGO “L’École pour tous” (“School for All”),
aims to renovate public schools in rural and peri-urban areas. "When one works with children, one is daily
faced with injustice”. Nadia is very active on the social networks which she
uses as a "communication weapon" and has created a citizens’ group called
"You have the floor". In 2016, she was elected vice-president of the Moroccan Publishers' Union. In 2000 she received the Francophonie Award and
in 2014 the “Wissam of the National Order of Merit”.