Publishers of Graphic Novels and Fine Comics since 1998.
Hannah Berry is Booktrust’s seventh online writer in residence and author of the books Britten and Brulighty and Adamtine. In this video, with Booktrust’s lovely web editor Nikesh, she explains why she prefers graphic novels, why she loves French cartoons and what the hell Adamtine is.
And if that wasn’t enough, Hannah will be doing an event at this year’s Comica Festival on 19th November at 7pm. Taking place at the Free Word Centre in London, Hannah and Paul Gravett will be in conversation with some of the country’s best graphic novelists.
Simone Lia, Sarah McIntyre, Glyn Dillon, Karrie Fransman and the legendary artist Dave McKean will also be in attendance.
- They will tell you why they love the funny books.
- You can ask them questions about comics.
- We can all rejoice in graphic novels.
- The world can watch as we present to you just why graphic novels are just as good as literary fiction.
Tickets are a mere £6 so click here to buy yours now.
Cape Comic Creations @ Bristol Festival of Ideas
On November 14th, Bristol Festival of Ideas will be hosting COMIC CREATIONS: An Evening with Jonathan Cape Graphic Novels.
It’s an impressive line-up, with a rare appearance from Alison Bechdel as well as lots of Cape staples such as Bryan and Mary Talbot and Simone Lia, in addition to newer authors such as Joff Winterhart and Karrie Fransman. There promises to be something to suit everyone’s taste!
Essentially a one night comic festival, there will be lots of events taking place throughout the evening - there are talks on a variety of topics, signings and a live drawing event too.
It’s going to be great, so make sure you get your tickets before they sell out!
Tickets are £12.00 / £10.00 - contact the Arnolfini, Bristol on 0117 917 2300, book online, or visit in person.
Karrie Fransman is hosting an exhibition at Orbital Comics, launching tonight. She’ll be pushing the boundaries of the comics medium and her exhibition explores the experimental side of the form. She’ll be in talks with Paul Gravett and Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, thinkabouting the history and future of experimental comics – both printed and digital.
If you read this blog (and live in London), you should probably be there.
Well we had a brilliant innings at ELCAF on Sunday. We arrived, yawning, at 9am, ready to set up. There was already a huge gang of people eagerly waiting to get in, which was heartening! Once we were priced up they let the masses in, and we kicked off in style with our postcard competition. (More on that over the coming days.) It wasn’t long before a few friends dropped by, starting off with S. J. Harris. We chatted internet and the dictionary.com word of the day (‘agnate’, in case you were wondering), before he went off to peruse other tables.
Then came Hannah Berry, who popped round the back of our table to sign some books. The fun thing about getting your book signed by a graphic novelist is the fact that you get a special drawing just for you, as well as a signature! After that, along came Joff Winterhart (whose graphic novel is just about to published). If people were jam doughnuts and fun was actually jam, Joff would be the best jam doughnut out there. Boy, is he a hoot! He pulled in plenty of folk for our postcard competition, and made a good prop for us to flaunt our upcoming Graphic Short Story Prize 2012. (More on that soon, too.)
Moving through the throng, we spotted Paul Gravett, who was wearing an amazing blazer which featured a pattern of unidentifiable birds. (We decided they were grebes.) We chatted to him for a while - what a guy. He sure knows his comics. (The jam tart made some interesting comments too, about how many superheroes are tragic characters, and can be foiled by their nemesis… sorry.) Simone Lia then emerged after her talk and did a good job of bothering Tom Gauld while he was signing books for Gosh, who were at the table next to us. Tom and Simone soon went off for a drink, leaving Hannah and Joff getting up to all sorts of mischief. We too were busy selling books and dishing out jam tarts to keep them in check.
And after her own talk, Karrie Fransman came by to say hi, brightening up the stall with her fancy top. It must have put the weather in a summery mood as it brought the sun out, which was nice! Good on yer, gal. As it was quietening down, we popped over to Isabel Greenberg’s stall (who had been opposite us all day) and pored over her wonderful creations. We had said hi already but she was all on her own and had to stick to her stall quite a bit. Sterling effort! Most exhibitors were in pairs, at least, and there she is trooping it alone.
After all that, we had a beer and went home, KNACKERED. But what a great way to spend a Sunday. Here’s to ELCAF 2012, and hopefully ELCAF 2013!
The weather’s going to be fairly grim on Saturday, so you can forget about wandering around Regent’s Park or some other such posied patch. Instead, you should illuminate your Samedi by checking out the Illustration Day at Foyles on the Charing Cross Road. Simone Lia’s going to show you how to make a comic, Karrie Fransman will be teaching narrative life drawing, and Paul Gravett will be his usual fascinating self.
(Source: lilyrosebea)
It’s competition time, once again…
In a fortnight, a crop of celebrated comics artists will descend on London for the Bandes Dessinées & Comics Passion Festival. Among the throngs you’ll find Guy Delisle giving a talk on his travels and travails, on Saturday 26 May. Jonathan Cape have teamed up with BD & Comics Passion Festival to offer you a chance to win tickets to this coveted event.
Simply email bdl@institutfrancais.org.uk, using RANDOM HOUSE COMPETITION as the subject/title of the message. A winner will be picked at random and notified soon. For more information, make your way to our website.
Karrie Fransman, from our sister imprint Square Peg (The House that Groaned), will be at the festival too. Her master-class ‘Creating and Selling Your Graphic Novels’ will help budding authors and illustrators get work ready to pitch to publishers and editors across the UK. It takes place on Sunday 27 May, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Tonight the British Library are hosting a wondrous event dedicated to the art of illustration and some of the finest illustrators working today. Illuminate! will showcase an eclectic mixture of graphic novelists, cartoonists, children’s book illustrators, calligraphers – you name it.
Among many others, the pop-up exhibition will include work by Cape’s very own Bryan Talbot and Hannah Berry. The evening will also feature an event with Posy Simmonds and a workshop lead by upcoming Cape artist and winner of last year’s Cape/Observer/Comica Graphic Short Story Prize, Isabel Greenberg. Karrie Fransman, from our sister imprint Square Peg, will also be running a workshop on illuminated manuscripts. Not to mention Mr Scruff, whose work will be exhibited, and who’ll also be the DJ for the night.
All this plus a special screening of Oscar-nominated animated film The Secret of Kells; the world’s largest comic; masterclasses; bar and more. All in all, it promises to be a very special night.
This event is in association with House of Illustration and is part of the British Library’s Spring Festival, a five-day celebration of creativity, fashion and design.
