Interactive Residency Kick-off
Thursday, September 14, 7pm | VPL - Central branch

Graphic novelist, comic artist, alumna and sessional faculty member, Miriam Libicki has been named Vancouver Public Library's 2017 Writer-in-Residence!

Libicki is the creator of jobnik!, an autobiographical comic series that recounts her service in the Israeli army and was a finalist for the Gene Day Award for Canadian self-publishing. Toward a Hot Jew – her collection of graphic essays exploring what it means to be Jewish – was named one of 2016’s top 10 graphic novels by Forbes.

A non-fiction comic artist, Libicki illustrates her real life experiences and incorporates documentary techniques such as interviews and photo references. She also shares her craft with others through cartooning workshops and as a teacher at Emily Carr University.

"I'm thrilled to be taking on this new role and creating opportunities for more people to discover the world of graphic novels," says Libicki. "This is a great way to mentor writers who may not currently be part of the comics community, and encourage those who have family stories or burning passions to share – to tell those stories through images."

VPL’s writer in residence program was created in 2005 and is in its 13th year promoting Canadian writing and literature to Vancouverites. This year's focus is graphic novels.

This Fall, Libicki will spend 40% of her time mentoring and supporting emerging writers and artists through consultations, illustration workshops, memoir comic intensives and more. Her
remaining time will be focused on further developing the script and artwork for an upcoming project about Jewish child refugees from the former Soviet Union.