Dancing Queen, Readman’s meditation on a lost friend, won this year’s Observer/Faber graphic short story prize. Now she’s glad she gave up the day job…
ast November, Anna Readman, 26, gave up her job in a Leeds comics shop, hoping to make a living full time from cartooning. But the year since hasn’t been easy. The two big gigs she had lined up fell through soon afterwards. “It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster,” she says. “I’ve been jumping from little job to little job, trying to make ends meet.” All of which makes the news that she is the winner of the 2023/Faber graphic short story prize so much sweeter.
Readman grew up in Lewes, in Sussex – hence the castle in the story – where she used to spend all of her pocket money on comics at the corner shop. “As a child, I loved superheroes,,” she says. She was “obsessed”, but it wasn’t until she began an illustration degree at Leeds Arts University that she got into the artists who influence her now:, Seth; what she describes as “real, old school stuff”.
Joining me as judges of this year’s prize were Angus Cargill, publishing director at Faber, our partner; Paul Gravett, all-round expert on all things cartoon and the director of Comica; Tom Oldham of Gosh, London’s best and most beloved comic book shop; Lizzy Stewart, the illustrator and author whose magnificent debut graphic novel,. We all agreed that Readman’s story deserved to be our winner, even if we were slightly surprised by our decision .
Gourlay is completely ecstatic to be runner-up. “I’m so thrilled,” she says, sounding almost breathless with happiness. “I feel very lucky to be… a. When I am writing novels, I start the day with dread. Will I find the right words? It’s so much responsibility.