Taking a side-step from super-hero comics and graphic novels, East Side Mags is stoked to welcome Meriam & Christian Carnouche, bringing their slice-of-life story exploring a Muslim woman’s experiences as a North African living away from home called Tunis to Sydney!
About the book: Lilia and Bill enjoy a quiet life in the heart of Sydney, Australia. Bill is a local, while Lilia hails from Tunisia, making them an unconventional but inseparable pair. Their happiness has always been unshakeable, until that day.
When Lilia receives the devastating news of her parents' tragic death in a car accident, a staggering ten thousand miles away, she's consumed by a profound sense of shock. The weight of unspoken questions surfaces. Did she fail her parents by not being there for them throughout the years?
As they hastily journey to Tunis for the funeral, Bill stands steadfastly by Lilia's side, offering unwavering support. Yet, this journey unveils the fault lines in Lilia's life, leading her to confront a cascade of profound questions. An olive tree, symbol of peace and healing, owned by Lilia's parents, becomes the center of attention, and triggers a dramatic situation that will change her forever.
Dive into a poignant graphic novel that delves into the labyrinth of grief, resilience in the face of loss, and the complexities of human relationships.
About the creators: Christian and Meriam are a French-Tunisian-Australian married couple and co-wrote Tunis to Sydney. They are based in NYC after having lived for many years in The Netherlands and France.
The themes for Tunis to Sydney sprang directly from Meriam’s experiences as a Tunisian woman living overseas and from her search for home and belonging, while Christian and has also lived overseas for a long time.
Christian previously wrote the comic book mini-series, The Resurrected, an anthology of comic book shorts called Murky Waters, and has authored a number of short comics for anthologies.
Although Tunis to Sydney was Meriam’s first full-length graphic novel, she collaborated with Christian on a short story in the Murky Waters anthology.
Christian and Meriam are currently working on a new graphic novel, also set in Tunisia.
Please join us on January 25 from 2pm-5pm to check out this amazing graphic novel!