Pinkney Andrea Davis - The Red Pencil

Fighting escalated when the Sudanese Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement accused the government of Sudan of neglecting Darfur both politically and economically. As a result, the two armed movements declared war against the central government. The government relied on the Janjaweed, an ethnically based militia composed mainly of Arab groups, to fight the rebellion. The largest tribal group in Darfur is that of the Fur people. Darfur, which means land of the Fur, has suffered as warring groups fight over land and animal-grazing rights between nomadic Arabs and Fur farmers. Because of the staggering number of human casualties, the United States government describes what has happened in Darfur as genocide.

Since 2003, at least 300,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million have been displaced inside Sudan and elsewhere. These people have been uprooted from their homes, which were bombed or burned in brutal raids by the Janjaweed militia. In the aftermath of military slaughter, they have been forced to flee in search of safety. Many families travel great distances to reach one of several relocation camps throughout Sudan and Chad, a neighboring country. When a family sets out from their village, they often dont know where theyre going, exactly. When they flee, their course is determined by what routes appear to be the safest, those free of potential attacks.

To ensure they will not be seen, they travel mostly at night, hoping to get to the safety of a displacement camp. While the refugee camps provide a haven, they are often overrun with people living among squalid conditions. Kalma Camp, located in South Darfur, was considered one of the largest refugee centers as the conflict grew. At its peak, it accommodated nearly 90,000 residents. Those living in Kalma have very little hope of ever returning to their homes.

As the crisis worsened, I felt compelled to present the ugly effects of war to young readers in a way that could help them understand their impact. That is how The Red Pencil began. Although I have traveled through several parts of Africa, conducted extensive research for this novel, and consulted with several experts, I am not an expert on the crisis in Darfur. As a novelist, I felt it vital to write a book that speaks to the human condition in times of war and to present this information in a way that is accessible to young readers. This story has been heavily vetted and fact-checked. Any errors or omissions are unintended.

My hope is that Ive written a book that is true in its soul and that speaks to the indomitable spirit of a people. The Red Pencil is a work of fiction inspired by several accounts that I read about children growing up inside an unthinkable reality. Young people witnessed horrific acts of war. With their families and surviving neighbors, they fled to refugee camps in search of safety.