November 14, Friday
Chantha Nguon
Author of Slow Noodles & Founder of Stung Treng Women’s Development Center
We are deeply honoured to welcome Chantha Nguon as a keynote speaker for this year’s Librarians Knowledge Sharing Workshop.
Born in Cambodia and shaped by two decades as a refugee, Chantha’s journey has been one of extraordinary strength, compassion, and purpose. She is the co-founder of the Stung Treng Women’s Development Center (SWDC), a vibrant social enterprise in northeastern Cambodia that provides education, livelihood aid, and social services to empower women and their families.
Chantha is also the author of the acclaimed memoir Slow Noodles, named one of the Best Books of 2024 by BookPage and ELLE, and a Top Food Book of the Year by Food & Wine and Smithsonian Magazine. Her voice, both fierce and tender, has resonated with audiences around the world, including appearances on NPR’s Morning Edition and at universities and cultural events across the globe.
When she’s not advocating or storytelling, Chantha is likely in the kitchen, preparing unforgettable meals that bring people together, just like her words do.
November 15, Saturday
Catherine Rey-Herme Cousins
Founder of Open Book Cambodia
They are the ones who enable to keep Open Book available to All ! 7 days a week.
Welcome to All of you too !
We are delighted to welcome Catherine Rey-Herme Cousins, founder and advisor of Open Book, a Cambodian local- NGO dedicated to literacy, libraries, and children’s publishing, as one of our keynote speakers.
Born in France and currently based in Singapore, Catherine has spent her life weaving words and building book-loving communities around the globe.
With a Master in Anthropology and Sociology from Paris V – Sorbonne University, she was a university teacher (French language and literature ) for over 17 years in the United States before relocating to Phnom Penh in 1998.
A former part-time ISPP teacher for 8 years, she trained alongside ISPP teams to bring the IB programme to life, and, most notably, founded Open Book in 2002. Since then, among other Cambodian publishing houses and NGOs , she’s been at the heart of publishing and literacy advocacy , helping to bring local and foreign stories to young readers through charming picture books and libraries filled with wonder.
An active member of IBBY and IKAJA (The International Kamishibai* Association of Japan), Catherine continues to champion reading and storytelling through Open Book Editions and her French-based nonprofit, Association Au Livre Ouvert.
She’s also the proud parent of three children, including an ISPP alum, and is happy to travel around the world being a grandmother of six !
*Kamishibai: Japanese street theater and storytelling