Our Little Secret, Emily Carrington’s account of her abuse by a neighbor as a child and her attempts as an adult to find justice and peace, has won the 2021 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize. Drawn and Quarterly published the graphic novel in March of 2022.
The award comes with a $2,500 prize, and the winner is chosen by a panel of judges.
“In this graphic memoir, Emily Carrington takes readers through her traumatic story of childhood abuse. While the novel begins with a warning, it only partially prepares the reader for the powerful narrative and emotional rollercoaster that they are about to be taken on,” the judges said. “Throughout the journey, Carrington expertly uses the graphic novel format to set the tone and pace the narrative. The story is clear and engaging and invites readers to witness the author’s futile quest for redress through the courts. This cultivates empathy and performs a kind of grassroots justice without sacrificing literary and artistic excellence. Carrington’s visuals are confident and original. She uses metaphor beautifully, and seamlessly weaves surrealist threads throughout the narrative. ‘Our Little Secret’ is fluid, utterly engaging, and evokes empathy and compels action.”
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