The judges of this year’s Faber / Observer / Comica Graphic Short Story Competition, and last year’s winner, Lesley Imgart, will discuss the growing popularity of graphic novels in Britain next month, at a special event for Faber Members at The Bindery in London.
Now in its eighteenth year and the third of Faber’s sponsorship, the Faber / Observer / Comica Graphic Short Story Competition seeks out excellent and original emerging talent in graphic storytelling. In addition to a prize of £1,000, the winner’s work is printed over four pages in the Observer’s New Review. Past winners have gone on to land publishing and film deals.
Open to Faber Members, the panel discussion, “Celebrating the Graphic Novel” will take place at Faber’s premises at The Bindery, 51 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8HN on Wednesday 9th April 2025. Tickets and a sign up to join Faber Members are available here.
Judges Rachel Cooke (Observer) and renowned authors and artists Posy Simmonds (Tamara Drewe) and Luke Healy (Americana and Self Esteem) will discuss the growing popularity of graphic novels in Britain, looking at some key examples of work in the genre such as Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, Craig Thompson’s Blankets, Daniel Clowes’ Ghost World and Adrian Tomine’s Shortcomings, all of which combine illustration and the written word in unique and revealing ways. They will also provide insight into the Faber / Observer / Comica Graphic Short Story Competition’s judging process, look back over past submissions and launch the 2025 edition. They will be joined by Lesley Imgart, winner of the prize in 2024 for her story Witch Way?
This event is in partnership with the Observer and Gosh! Comics.
Rachel Cooke was born in Sheffield. She trained as a reporter at the Sunday Times, and is now a writer at the Observer, where she has won several awards. She is also the television critic of the New Statesman. She is the author of Her Brilliant Career: Ten Extraordinary Women of the Fifties and The Virago Book of Friendship. Rachel is a long-standing champion of graphic novels, via her Observer Graphic Novel of the Month reviews.
Luke Healy Luke Healy is a cartoonist, comedian and TV writer from Dublin, Ireland. He holds an MFA in cartooning from the Center for Cartooning Studies in Vermont, USA, and is the author of five graphic novels, the last three of which – Self Esteem and the End of the World, The Con Artists and Americana – were all named as GuardianBooks of the Year.
Lesley Imgart was born in Germany. She moved to the UK to study for a BA in illustration in Birmingham. She is now based in Edinburgh, where she obtained a master’s degree, also in illustration. Her story Witch Way? was the winner of the 2024 Faber / Observer / Comica Graphic Short Story Competition.
Posy Simmonds, one of the UK’s most beloved graphic novelists, is the author of many books for adults and children, including Gemma Bovery, Lulu and the Flying Babies and Fred, the film of which was nominated for an Oscar. She has won international awards for her work, including the 2009 Grand prix de la critique bande dessinée for Tamara Drewe and the 2024 Grand Prix at France’s Angoulême International Comics festival for a lifetime’s achievement. Both Gemma Bovery and Tamara Drewe have been made into successful feature films. Her third graphic novel, Cassandra Darke, was published in 2018. She lives in London.
• “Celebrating the Graphic Novel” Panel Discussion 7.00pm Wednesday 9th April 2025 Faber, The Bindery, 51 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8HN | Faber Members Event – Tickets and a sign up to join Faber Members are available here
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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