PLANNING NONFICTION: LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MAKING COMICS
Where do you begin and end research? How do you structure nonfiction narrative? What does one do with visual reference?
Join Island Magazine and award-winning cartoonist, journalist and editor Eleri Harris as she shares hot tips from her book Making Nonfiction Comics: A Guide for Graphic Narrative about researching and writing for nonfiction comics (relevant to writers of all mediums), from memoir, to history to science and journalistic stories. Eleri will run through several creative exercises, including "three perfect panels" to build the perfect lead and make time for attendees to take a shot at writing their own panels.
Presenter’s bio:
Hailing from Lutruwita/Tasmania, Eleri (she/her) is a CBCA and Eisner award-winning cartoonist, journalist and editor currently working on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country in Australia’s national capital. Her non-fiction history, science and reportage comics have been exhibited and published all over the world. For a decade she was Features Editor at US-based comics website and magazine, The Nib. Eleri has spoken about the practice and art of non-fiction comics making at conferences in the US, Australia, India and Peru. She is also a regular guest lecturer in comics journalism at the University of Technology Sydney, The Center for Cartoon Studies and The California College of the Arts. She is the author of the NSW Premier’s History Award shortlisted and CBCA Award winning picture book, A Loo of One’s Own: The Mostly True Story of Australia’s First Female Parliamentarians Allen & Unwin (2025) and the Eisner shortlisted book Making Nonfiction Comics: A Guide for Graphic Narrative, co-authored with Sarah Shay Mirk, (Abrams ComicArts 2025). From 2019-2023, Eleri was co-director of the Comic Art Workshop, a grassroots organisation supporting remote residencies for ambitious comics projects. She loves drawing tiny pictures in her studio at Gorman Arts Centre, walking in the bush and building sweet comics communities.
Join Island Magazine and award-winning cartoonist, journalist and editor Eleri Harris as she shares hot tips from her book Making Nonfiction Comics: A Guide for Graphic Narrative about researching and writing for nonfiction comics (relevant to writers of all mediums), from memoir, to history to science and journalistic stories. Eleri will run through several creative exercises, including "three perfect panels" to build the perfect lead and make time for attendees to take a shot at writing their own panels.
Presenter’s bio:
Hailing from Lutruwita/Tasmania, Eleri (she/her) is a CBCA and Eisner award-winning cartoonist, journalist and editor currently working on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country in Australia’s national capital. Her non-fiction history, science and reportage comics have been exhibited and published all over the world. For a decade she was Features Editor at US-based comics website and magazine, The Nib. Eleri has spoken about the practice and art of non-fiction comics making at conferences in the US, Australia, India and Peru. She is also a regular guest lecturer in comics journalism at the University of Technology Sydney, The Center for Cartoon Studies and The California College of the Arts. She is the author of the NSW Premier’s History Award shortlisted and CBCA Award winning picture book, A Loo of One’s Own: The Mostly True Story of Australia’s First Female Parliamentarians Allen & Unwin (2025) and the Eisner shortlisted book Making Nonfiction Comics: A Guide for Graphic Narrative, co-authored with Sarah Shay Mirk, (Abrams ComicArts 2025). From 2019-2023, Eleri was co-director of the Comic Art Workshop, a grassroots organisation supporting remote residencies for ambitious comics projects. She loves drawing tiny pictures in her studio at Gorman Arts Centre, walking in the bush and building sweet comics communities.
Tuesday 29 September 2026 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (UTC+10)
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PLANNING NONFICTION: LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MAKING COMICS
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