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Queer thriller set in ramen shop wins First Graphic Novel Award
The winner of the First Graphic Novel Award was revealed at a ceremony at Waterstones Piccadilly on 11th December.
Queer visual artist Alex Taylor, also known as azbt, won for his first graphic novel, Bone Broth, and will receive a contract for publication from SelfMadeHero, alongside a cash prize of £500 by The bks Agency, whose agent James Spackman read and gave feedback to all longlisted authors.
Emma Hayley, publisher at SelfMadeHero, said: “The fun and colourful art style belies the intricate plot lines of this coming-of-age queer thriller set in a ramen shop. Crafted with vigour and spirit, the creator takes us on a somewhat crazy yet wonderful journey that is tasty from beginning to end.”
The award, in its first year, is a collaboration between graphic novel publisher SelfMadeHero, the Cartoon Museum and award founder Corinne Pearlman. It was judged by artist and graphic novelist Sabba Khan, contemporary artist and Turner Prize winner Mark Wallinger, Cartoon Museum learning officer Steve Marchant, editor and writer Ayoola Solarin, broadcast journalist Alex Fitch, alongside Hayley and Pearlman. They each read 15 to 30 pages of each of the seven shortlisted submissions, which ranged from graphic fiction and non-fiction, graphic reportage and memoir, whittled down from 171 entries.
Pearlman said: “The diversity of subject matter as well as the talent and effort displayed by all 171 entrants has been remarkable. The strength of our longlist as well as our shortlist shows the wealth of comic talent in the UK.”
The other shortlistees were Anna Trench for Florrie, Gareth Cowlin for The Hiraeth Club, Cathy Brett for Mrs Thorwald, Mereida Fajardo for Zayani Zam, Myfanwy Tristram for The Noisy Valley and Corban Wilkin for The Infinite Benefits of Shame.
The award is open to UK resident artists, writers and comic creators who have not previously had a long-form graphic novel published.
