What it's about
This story is called Unbiased. Truthfully, nothing is ever fully unbiased. But we try.
Children have an amazing ability to accept what they see as normal. They are open. Curious. Free from judgment. When we show them only one version of the world, that version can become «the normal.» Everything else may begin to feel unusual or wrong.
But our world is wonderfully diverse. Gender exists on a spectrum. Families come in many forms. Clothes, colors, hobbies, and love do not belong to only one kind of person.
In the Unbiased Stories for Children series, diversity is not the lesson. It is simply there. Just like in real life. Our goal is to widen what children see as normal. Not by pointing at differences, but by letting them exist naturally in the background.
Ren Wants to Be Alone is a children’s book about Ren, a non-binary teenager growing up in a large, loving, non-nuclear family. Surrounded by warmth, connection, and constant activity, Ren cherishes their family deeply. Yet sometimes the joyful chaos becomes overwhelming. Longing for stillness and space, Ren retreats to the family’s countryside house in search of quiet time alone.
Scheduled for release in April 2026, the book will be published in English by Amsel Verlag Zürich with design by an award-winning Vela Arbutina studio. The original textile collages created for the book will be exhibited at the art space Material from 8–13 March 2026.
With this crowdfunding, we hope to receive the missing funds to finalize the book and publish it. We hope you believe in this project as much as we do. Thank you.
Why this story matters
Ren Wants to Be Alone speaks to something many children experience but rarely see reflected in books: the need for personal space within loving relationships. In a world that often celebrates togetherness, productivity, and constant interaction, this story gently validates a child’s right to pause, withdraw, and reconnect with themselves.
The book matters because it normalizes conversations about boundaries and emotional needs from an early age. It shows that asking for space is not rejection, but an act of self-awareness. It also demonstrates that healthy families grow stronger through listening, respect, and understanding.
At the same time, the story broadens representation in children’s literature. By portraying a non-binary protagonist and a non-traditional family structure as part of everyday life, it offers visibility to children who rarely see themselves reflected in books and fosters empathy in those encountering these experiences for the first time.
Ultimately, this story matters because it affirms that identity, diversity, and emotional honesty belong naturally in the stories we create for children and in the world they are growing into.
This is what we need backing for
We have been working on this project since 2020. Over the years, we dedicated an enormous amount of time and care to bringing it to life. We collected the bigger part of the funding from Kanton Zürich and Erna und Curt Burgauer Stiftung. Now we are at the final stage, just one last step remains to make it happen.
We are currently raising funds to cover the final production costs, including professional scans, design, printing, and publishing expenses. If we get the project backed beyond our goal, we will use the extra funds for translating the book in German and potentially other languages.
It is also very important for us to see and feel the interest in the project. By supporting it, you can pre-order the book and help bring it into the world. Original collages are also available for purchase, directly supporting the publication of the book.
Every contribution brings us closer to the finish line.