CREDIT: SHIRONOSOV/THINKSTOCK
Graphic novels are becoming more popular, and are just one of the few forms of literary expression that can be found at WordFest over the October 24 weekend.

I have loved books since before I could read them. I remember sitting with my legs straight out in front of me, a book placed between them, and using the palm of my hand to furiously flip the pages of my mom’s bedside novels, my mind filling up with all the possibilities of what was happening. I had no idea, but even just flipping the pages in anticipation was thrilling.

I had explored many different kinds of novels: escaped dystopia with The Giver’s Jonas and Gabriel, hustled in West Egg with Jay and Daisy (The Great Gatsby), attended Hogwarts with Harry and the gang, and even cried alongside every young girl Judy Blume has thought into existence.

But it wasn’t until I was 18, while meandering the aisles of City Lights that I happened upon my first graphic novel. Until then, I thought graphic novels were reserved for superheroes, but there is a whole world beyond that genre, and it’s astounding.

There’s a difference between a comic book and a graphic novel, although the line is a bit blurred and certainly widely debated: a comic book is a single book but part of a larger series/plot. Spiderman is an iconic example of a series. They’re sort of like the episodes of a sitcom. But graphic novels are complete stories told in one piece. Like a movie as opposed to a television show.

The first graphic novel to popularize the term came with famed cartoonist Will Eisner’s A Contract with God (And Other Tenement Stories) in 1978. Exploring adult content and themes, Eisner helped propel graphic novels and cartooning into the realm of an art form.

Since then, graphic novelists have adapted many different illustration styles and formats. Some are still what you would liken to traditional cartoons, while others are more ornate and reflective of the story or illustrator’s personal style. Like any other art form, people are pushing the envelope and playing with how far the medium can be stretched.

The artistry and popularity of graphic novels is still expanding, the library still broadening.

WordsFest is a festival coming to London later this month where many different forms of literary expression will be explored, including the graphic novel. The festival, slated to take place on the weekend of October 24, will host a number of workshops and events all themed around the written word in many shapes and forms.

If you want to get your hands dirty and start contributing to the broad spectrum that literature has to offer, or just wish to sit back and listen to some poetry, consider attending one of the events.

For more information on WordsFest, you can visit their website at wordsfest.ca.
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