Join us for our inaugural OCAD University Library Book Club event. We will be joined by editor and artist Laura Kenins and artist Rebecca Roher for a reading and discussion of Nova Graphica: A Graphic Anthology of Nova Scotia History. Rebecca will be reading from her story "Viola Desmond Had a Dream Too".
About Nova Graphica (from the publisher):
The fiddle-free side of Nova Scotia history
More than the stereotypes of lobsters and fiddles, Canada''s "ocean playground" of Nova Scotia boasts a vibrant history of ghost stories, folklore, industry, politics, and vibrant Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ and immigrant communities. Home or formerly home to some of Canada''s biggest names in comics over the past decades, this anthology brings together 15 artists, making Nova Scotia''s history come to life through a collection of graphic stories that are spooky, funny and thought-provoking. Nova Scotia and the Maritimes are usually neglected in the study of Canadian history. This anthology will bring offbeat stories from across the province to light in a fun, engaging and irreverent manner. Presenting Nova Scotia history in a graphic format and unique stories that aren''t taught in schools, this book will be an approachable, readable collection that appeals to readers of comics and non-fiction alike.
About the Artists
Laura Kenins is the author of Steam Clean (Retrofit) and the Doug Wright Award-nominated Alien Beings (kus!). She fixed stray apostrophes at The Coast weekly in Halifax for years and her work in journalism has also been published by CBC, Quill & Quire, The Globe and Mail and others. She studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and has a master’s in history from Central European University. She is currently located in Toronto and is counting down the days until she can return to the Maritimes. laurakenins.com
Rebecca Roher is a Toronto based cartoonist and educator with an MFA from the Centre from Cartoon Studies. Her comic, Mom Body, was nominated for Ignatz and Doug Wright Awards in 2015, and her debut graphic novel, Bird in a Cage, won the Doug Wright Award for Best Book in 2017. Her forthcoming book, One Hundred Year-old Wisdom, based on interviews with centenarians about the secrets to long life, will be published with Drawn and Quarterly in 2022.
About the Library Book Club Series
The OCAD University Library Book Club is an effort to maintain connectedness during the COVID-19 closure while exploring vital topics and issues related to our time. Meeting once per term, and with a rotating host, the event will take up a theme, a short literary, graphic, or non-fiction work, and facilitate discussion.