Princess Gallantra and the Great Race Honors Memory of Elysian Parent

(via press release)

Children’s book Princess Gallantra and the Great Race has just been released in hardcover,
paperback and eBook.

Lyle Hysen is the founder and president of Bank Robber Music (BRM), a music licensing company, which he started in 2004.

In 2007, Lyle Hysen’s friend and former Elysian Charter School parent Roya Movafegh—a multi-media artist and writer—suggested they collaborate on a children’s book. Movafegh asked if Hysen could illustrate a story about a princess named Gallantra who stops during an important race (that she is winning) to help a prince.

“I told Roya to count me in,” says Hysen. “But that my drawing abilities were limited to characters standing and talking to each other. She thought I was joking. The project was tabled, and seven years somehow slipped by.”

In those seven years, Movafegh was diagnosed with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, and tragically the
two never got to work on the book together. She passed away in May, 2015, and during the summer of 2015 Hysen decided to illustrate this version of the story – Princess Gallantra and the Great Race– in Movafegh’s honor with the help of graphic designer John Newcomer

All proceeds from sales of the book are being donated to Global Kids. The book is now available as an ebook ($10), a paperback ($30) and a hardcover ($40) at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/somethingland.

“This book is dedicated to Roya’s invincible, generous and inspiring spirit,” continues Hysen. “Even if someone doesn’t want to buy the book, but would like to to make a donation to Global Kids, please mark on the check that it’s in memory of Roya Movafegh. It’s an organization whose work is a perfect fit to honor her memory.”