While most of the PMI Victorian History Library’s collection consists of nonfiction books covering many aspects of Victorian history, we have a carefully curated fiction collection that includes books, DVDs and zines. In the words of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s famous “windows, mirrors and sliding glass doors” metaphor, being exposed to a diverse range of fiction not only allows us to see into other people’s lives (windows), but also to see our own lives reflected in story (mirrors) and step into worlds and experiences different from our own (sliding glass doors).
Graphic novels are a relatively new addition to the PMI Library, and while a couple can be found in our general fiction collection, most are shelved according to their predominant topic. The first graphic novel added was Underground: Marsupial Outlaws and Other Rebels of Australia’s War in Vietnam by Mirranda Burton, which was reviewed on this very blog in 2021. We also have teen books, with Stars in Their Eyes by Jessica Walton and Asha depicting two LGBTQ+ teenagers navigating relationships, accessibility, representation and fan culture (read our review here). With Lee Lai’s Cannon recently becoming the first graphic novel to win the Stella Prize, we thought we’d introduce you to some of the other graphic novels that can be found in our library.
Stone Fruit by Lee Lai made the 2022 Stella Prize shortlist and tells the tumultuous story of Bron and Ray, a queer couple who are aunties to Ray’s six-year-old niece, Nessie. The strength of their relationship ebbs and flows as they each deal with repairing difficult family relationships, facing the vulnerability of confronting the past to understand each other and move into the future.
Polyamory Isn’t for Everyone by Khale McHurst is the autobiographical recount of a past relationship and its breakdown, told while still processing the trauma and hurt. The monogamous author tells of her partner’s unyielding commitment to polyamory – a single-minded dedication that increasingly infuses their relationship with double standards, gaslighting, emotional manipulation and eventually abuse, before both women finally accept their fundamental incompatibility. Deeply personal and starkly told, Polyamory Isn’t for Everyone is a quick read that will stay with you.
Neither Here Nor Hair: A Comic Anthology collects musings and mini-memoirs from 14 different Australian creators on the intersecting topics of hair, femininity, cultural norms and (non)conformity. The art styles are varied and captivating, ranging from thoughtful and reflective to critical, empowering and even humorous.
Australia Burns: Tales of Devastation and Courage Under Fire is a comic anthology in tribute to those affected by the bushfires across Australia in the summer of 2019-2020. Australia Burns collects the work of many different writers, artists and contributors in many different stories – some closely inspired by real events, some briefer than others. These are tales of fire, helplessness, devastation and death – but they’re also about courage, hope and an unstoppable resilience that should not be forgotten.
Small Things by Mel Tregonning is a wordless graphic novel with beautifully drawn illustrations. This is a short read that tells the story of a young boy struggling to navigate the stressors of school, friendships and family alone, powerfully depicting his worries as small, jagged monsters that eat away at his body and keep him from being whole.
Still Alive: Notes from Australia’s Immigration Detention System by Safdar Ahmed chronicles the personal stories the author collected during his visits to Sydney’s Villawood Immigration Detention Centre from 2011. Through expressive illustrations and detailed narratives, Still Alive delivers an indictment of Australia’s refugee detention policies and procedures, provoking both anger and shame by its honesty and irresolution.
Eventually Everything Connects: Eight Essays on Uncertainty by Sarah Firth is an autobiographical collection of interwoven visual essays, interspersing a high density of quotes and ideas from writers, historians and popular culture with Firth’s own humour-infused observations and anecdotes. Eventually Everything Connects is about managing the messiness of our own inner lives while growing to appreciate the expansive, ever-changing, interconnected nature of the universe and our place in it. Sarah Firth is a Melbourne-based cartoonist, comic artist and writer whose other works in the PMI Library include Have a Seat or Don’t: Growing Up in a Designer Chair Museum, Who Likes Short Shorts? A Short Comics Compilation, Think on the Page: Short Comics and a zine titled Buried Treasure.
If any of these books have caught your fancy, come visit us at the PMI Library to check them out! And if you have any suggestions of graphic novels written by Australians and set in Australia that we might be able to add to our collections, we’d love to hear them.
Written by library volunteer Susannah Cosham.