Following up on his 2024 – 2025 Reading List for 2024 – 2025, Comics Laureate Bobby Joseph has compiled his 2026-2027 Reading List, which Arts Council England have distributed to their connected libraries, and CILIP: the library and information association, as well as their literature team.
We’re delighted to feature this new list here on downthetubes – which includes graphic novels and manga by Huw Aaron, Neill Cameron, Colleen Douglas, ILYA, Bex Ollerton, Zara Slattery, and many more, including a specific section dedicated to Graphic Novels Created By UK Comic Creators.
“This year’s list is two-fold,” says Bobby, “the first being that it is focused predominantly on UK Comic creators (much of the list is as diverse as I could make it), the second being that it is more focused towards the National Year of Reading 2026.”
• Check out Comics Laureate Bobby Joseph’s Graphic Novel List for Libraries 2026 – 2027
Bobby Joseph – Comics Laureate 2023 – 2027
Bobby Joseph follows in the footsteps of comic creators Dave Gibbons, Charlie Adlard and Hannah Berry, and illustrator and bookseller Stephen L. Holland in the unpaid role promoting the comics form, also known as ‘The Ninth Art’.
The Comics Laureate is an ambassadorial and educational role for the comics medium and aims to raise awareness of the impact comics can have in terms of increasing literacy and creativity.
Working closely with the Lakes International Comics Art Festival, the Comics Laureate champions the role of comics in improving literacy through a programme of educational visits, workshop events, guest appearances and conferences. A key focus will be working to increase the acceptance of comics as a creative art form in schools, libraries and throughout the education system.
Bobby Joseph was announced as the Comic Laureate 2023-25 during the Lakes International Comic Art Festival on 30 September 2023, in Bowness-on-Windermere.
Bobby is an acclaimed comic writer, artist, tutor and editor whose work has often challenged and inspired its readers. His early work includes the creation of Skankmagazine, where his best-known strip, “Scotland Yardie”, first featured later collected by Knockabout Press.
Bobby has written for The Guardian newspaper, Dazed and Confused and Vice.com. His comic work was a prominent feature at the Anarchy in the UK comic exhibition at the British Library in 2015 and was seen by over 60,000 visitors. He is also a vocal advocate for diversity and BAME representation in comic books and is credited on the BBC website as instrumental in featuring some of the “first comics by black creators featuring black characters.”
Scotland Yardie, published by Knockabout Comics in 2017, was the first BAME graphic novel to be studied as a module on an English Literature MA course at King’s College, London.
• Read: Bobby Joseph becomes first person of colour appointed UK comics laureate – Guardian article
• Check out Bobby Joseph’s 2024 – 2025 Comics Laureate Reading List here on downthetubes
• Check out Comics Laureate Bobby Joseph’s Graphic Novel List for Libraries 2026 – 2027
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
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.
Categories: British Comics, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Features
In Memoriam: Comics Archivist Alan Vince 
In Memoriam: Comic Artist, Game Designer Vu Danh 
Bermuda cartoon legend Peter Woolcock’s “Douglas the Dachshund” art offered for sale 
Creating Comics: Scripting Spooky Strips
Leave a Reply