Our Journey

Alexandra Pascalidou & Loka Kanarp

In Our Journey, we meet seven people whose lives once crossed seas, borders, and languages. They arrived in Sweden as children and teenagers, fleeing war, persecution, and political violence in countries such as Iran, Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Palestine. Some arrived alone. Others held on to a hand, a voice, a final fragment of what once felt like home.

Journalist and author Alexandra Pascalidou has listened to their stories of escape, arrival, and new beginnings. Illustrator and graphic storyteller Loka Kanarp brings their memories to life through powerful artwork that moves between vulnerability and strength.

These are stories of childhoods lived in the shadow of war. Of journeys no one should ever have to make. Of waiting, uncertainty, and temporary shelters. But they are also stories of the people who were there to welcome them: teachers, host families, legal guardians, and others who opened doors, offered support, gave courage, and made it possible to begin speaking, living, and belonging again.

Today, they have built lives in Sweden. They work as teachers, entrepreneurs, and activists. Some have become parents themselves. The experience of flight has never left them, but it has become a source of strength, purpose, and determination to protect and support others.

Yet not all wounds heal. Not every story reaches a peaceful ending. For some, the struggle continues in new forms, shaped by decisions, borders, and uncertainty. The past remains present.

Our Journey is a book about loss and survival. About resilience and belonging. And about the deeply human act of creating a life against all odds.