Mary M. Talbot's Blog, page 3

Arabic edition of Language and Gender

We’re just back from a short trip to Paris and there was a surprise package waiting for me when we arrived home last night. In it were two copies of Language and Gender, 3rd edition, translated into Arabic and just published by Shahrayar Books, Iraq. I wasn’t expecting to see it until after the Cairo Book Fair in January. I’ll make room on the shelf for it, next to the edition in simplified Chinese that came out nearly 20 years ago. I guess the book still has life in it yet!

10th Lakes International Comic Art Festival

This year, for the first time, the festival took place within the Lake District National Park. Located on the shore of Windermere, in Bowness, we had stunning views (sometimes!) of the surrounding mountains. We also had a good deal of mist, rain and rainbows. Another first for us this year was spending most of the busy weekend at a stall in the comics marketplace. Here are some photos, mostly inside the Lakeview (pictured above, from the grounds of our hotel) since that’s where the marketplace was situated. Afterwards Bryan and I travelled down to Lancaster University, where we each did a talk for staff and students. Here are a couple of photos tweeted by @lancaster_words:

RAIN, roman graphique et biocentrique

Readers of French out there may be interested in seeing a short article I did on Rain that was posted this morning on an environmentalist blog ANAB (Association Nature Alsace Bossue). Click here for the link. (1) The website itself is well worth looking at, with an extensive archive that has a wealth of material in it on a wide range of topics. The book’s still not out in French, unfortunately.   (1) I was asked to contribute to the blog by an old friend of mine, Sylvie Toll, who’s originally from Alsace. There seems to have been some confusion over who wrote the piece!

Bryan Talbot Official Biography

In my last post, I introduced the Talbot biography project. The Zoop crowdfunder for this substantial volume is now live: https://zoop.gg/c/bryantalbot – and there’s a earlybird discount!   As I said previously, Bryan has been working with J.D. Harlock on this book for at least two years. It’s copiously illustrated with artwork and photographs on almost every page. The book has introductions by Neil Gaiman and Ed Brubaker. It’s essential reading for fans of Bryan’s work, naturally. But it will also fascinate anyone with an interest in the history of comics and the hard graft that goes into creating them.   And, you may not be surprised to hear, I’m in it quite a bit too…

Bryan Talbot, Father of the British Graphic Novel

For the past two years or so, Bryan has  been working with J.D. Harlock on a detailed  biography, copiously illustrated with artwork and photographs on every page. It has a pre-launch page that has just gone up on on Zoop and the campaign begins soon. If you’d like to support it, here’s the link: https://zoop.gg/c/bryantalbot. The book has introductions by Neil Gaiman and Ed Brubaker. It’s essential reading for fans of Bryan’s work, of course, but it will also fascinate anyone with an interest in the history of comics and the hard graft that goes into creating them.

RAIN talk for Gaia: Festival of the Earth

Just a quick reminder that I’m talking about our graphic novel RAIN at Lancaster Priory tomorrow evening (Weds 29th June), beneath a stunning Earth installation by Luke Jerram. If you’re in north-west England, do come along! Bryan will be present too and there’ll be books available for signing. It will be followed by talk and discussion from Alaister McKee of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Here’s the link for details and tickets: Gaia: Festival of the Earth

Two exhibition openings in London!

Here are a few photos from our recent exhibition events. First we were in the Bookery Gallerie on 10th June, for the vernissage, or private view, of The Graphic Novels of Mary Talbot. It’s a lovely gallery bookshop space. The following evening we did an illustrated talk there on our work together. Did anyone manage to watch it on Zoom? Who knows? Two great events, anyway. On 14th June, Bryan’s major Arkwright retrospective, Luther Arkwright: 50 years of a British comics legend, opened in the Cartoon Museum. It’s a brilliant exhibition – well worth a visit – and there’s a great review of it by James Bacon on Down the Tubes. Here’s Bryan with award-winning SF writer, Adrian Tchaikovsky: And with Kavus Torabi, musician and composer, record label owner and broadcaster (the strange figure in the background is a puppet version of Roy Hattersley: the eponymous Spitting Image!): Here we are with snooker legend Steve Davis and Helena Nash, creator of the Grandville figurines: We had good company in Pizza Express afterwards! Around the table are Yomi ‘Clockwork Watch’ Ayeni, Bryan, Steve Davis, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Kavus Torabi, scholar Matt Green, myself and Claire Ayeni.

An evening with the Talbots – on Zoom!

We’ll be in the Bookery Gallerie in London on Saturday 11th, when The Graphic Novels of Mary Talbot exhibition opens. While we’re there, we’ll be doing an illustrated talk. If you can’t make it in person, worry not. It’s going to be on Zoom too! Here’s the time: June 11 2022 07.30 PM London. And here’s the link: Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5886685273?...  

The Graphic Novels of Mary Talbot, an exhibition

Preparations are well underway for an exhibition of artwork from the work I’ve done in collaboration with artists over the past decade or so. I’ve worked mostly with Bryan, of course, but also with two other amazingly talented artists: Kate Charlesworth and Alwyn Talbot. The Graphic Novels of Mary Talbot: An exhibition of original art by Bryan Talbot, Kate Charlesworth and Alwyn Talbot will run for four weeks and opens to the public on Saturday 11th June 2022. It’s at the Bookery Gallerie, 20 Church Street, London NW8 8EP. We’ll be doing a presentation there on the evening of Saturday 11th. Be there! The following Tuesday Bryan’s Arkwright retrospective opens at the Cartoon Museum: Bryan Talbot’s Luther Arkwright: 50 Years of a British comics legend

Gaia, Festival of the Earth at Lancaster Priory

Another public appearance coming up. It’s part of a programme of weekly events taking place at Lancaster Priory in June and July 2022. Gaia Festival of the Earth will run for four weeks, from 24th June to 17th July. On Wednesday 29th June, I’ll be doing an illustrated talk on our graphic novel Rain, followed by Q&A. Bryan will be present too, and there’ll be books available for signing. The first of the evening discussion sessions in Nature Week, it will be followed by talk and discussion with Alaister McKee from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. It promises to be a fascinating evening. Please come along! 7pm. Tickets are £5, available here. Check out the festival website for all the other activities on offer.