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THE BLOG AT THE CROSSROADS
Britain is Guest Country at Strip Turnhout, Belgium
Posted: December 7, 2011
This weekend December 10th and 11th, the biggest and best biannual comics festival in Flanders, Strip Turnhout, celebrates the best of Flemish and international comics. And with generous support from The British Council, Tunhout has invited Great Britain to be their guest country this. As their liaison, I’ve been helping them reach creators and bring them over for events and exhibitions. The festival’s special British poster is of course illustrated from Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds, who will be taking part in the Sunday morning radio discussion show called ‘Overlezen’ or ‘About Reading. Other UK guests include Kevin O’Neill, Woodrow Phoenix and Paul Grist, joined by such international superstars as Edmond Baudoin and Charles Burns.
There will also be a live workshop over the whole weekend, in which Karrie Fransman, Daniel Merlin Goodbrey, Douglas Noble and Rachel Emily will be experimenting with making different forms of comics, from digital to sculptural, joined by the five latest London Print Studio comics interns. On the Saturday afternoon, 3-3.45pm, I’ll be hosting a panel discussion on international co-operation between comics festivals, with participants Rachid Alik from the Algiers festival FIBDA, the Flemish cartoonist Nix, best known for his Kinky & Cosy comedies translated now by NBM, the sublime Finnish comic artist Amanda Vähämäki, and former British Council liaison, now based in Istanbul, Canan Marasligil. With all this and a packed programme with sketch battles, live drawing on stage to music, an awards ceremony, exhibitions from Marc Sleen to Judith Vanistendael around the city, a lovely new comics mural by Ulf K., and much more, you can expect a massive turnout for Turnhout (sorry!).
Read The Blog At The Crossroads here.
