Syrian refugee crisis to be the subject of graphic novel
Don Brown, the award-winning author-illustrator behind graphic novels Drowned City and The Great American Dustbowl, is currently working on a new book, EW has learned.
Titled The Unwanted, the graphic novel will focus on the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis and will tell the story of a month in a refugee’s life—including the harsh conditions of the war zone they’re forced to live in as they try to escape.
“The Syrian refugee crisis is an epic world tragedy not seen in decades,” says Brown, who will be traveling to a refugee camp as part of his research. “Having explored the graphic format in two earlier books, I’m convinced its hybrid literary and artistic nature is perfectly suited to tell the story.”
The Unwanted will be released Fall 2018, with publishers Houghton Mifflin Harcourt donating a portion of the book’s proceeds to the International Rescue Committee, a nonprofit dedicated to to helping people fleeing conflict or national disaster.
Brown’s previous works, The Great American Dustbowl and Drowned City, both focused on similar themes, with the former looking at the Dust Bowl and its effect on people at the time, while the latter delved into the history and events unfolding during Hurricane Katrina.
