Graphic novels are currently gaining more and more popularity among readers and publishers. Are you ready to tell your story in this dynamic medium?
Join author and illustrator Debasmita Dasgupta for our upcoming masterclass. Smita will guide you through how to create both the illustrations and the text for a graphic novel, as well as the storyboarding process, panel structuring, pacing, and how to bring it all together. She’ll discuss creating your characters and world building, offering insight into her own creative process and helping you to make decisions around the medium (e.g. digital, hand-drawn, mixed media) you want to work in. Smita will also offer her advice on getting graphic novels published in the current market, whether you are creating books for children, young adults, or for adults.
The session will end with a brief Q&A, so come ready with your questions.
The masterclass will take place online via Teams. It will also be recorded so if you are unable to attend live, you'll be able to catch-up and access the recording for up to two weeks after the event has taken place.
This event is being run in collaboration with Book Aid International, with proceeds from ticket sales going towards the brilliant work they do
Debasmita Dasgupta illustrates and writes books for children and young adults. Initially self-taught, in 2023 she completed a Masters degree in Children's Book Illustration & Graphic Novels at Middlesex University, London.
Her picture book, Mina vs the Monsoon, published by Yali Books USA in 2018, was nominated for the Kirkus Reviews Prize for Best Picture Book. Her graphic novels Nadya, Terminal 3 and ZardoZi-stitched with love are published by Scholastic, Penguin and HarperCollins India. In 2023 she illustrated Ganesha goes Green, published by Barefoot Books that won many awards and recognition. Her most recent graphic novel Faiza is a Fighter is published by Lerner Publishing Group in the USA, UK, and Canada.
She is co-founder of Picture Book Matters alongside author Eva Wong Nava, which empowers aspiring and emerging picture book artists and authors in Asia. Besides her books, Debasmita has illustrated animated stories that have been showcased in the Raindance Film Festival in London and Toronto. She is passionate about cinema and produces indie international feature drama for streamers such as Netflix.
She was born and grew up in Kolkata in the east of India, lived for many years in Singapore, and now lives in Windsor, in the UK, with her partner.
By 2030, over a third of the world’s young people will be in Africa. Millions of them will have no books at all. That’s an estimated 733 million children and young people who could become future doctors, teachers, business leaders, writers and more.
But, for millions of children and young people in Africa there is a real risk they will not realise their potential and be able to lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty, because they lack access to books and quality education. Together, we can get them the books they need.
Through Generation Reader we will work with our partners to scale up our vital work, creating access to books in even more schools, more public and community libraries and more universities across sub-Saharan Africa. We must act now to have an impact on the next generation of young people in Africa.
Proceeds from your tickets sales will go towards Book Aid International’s Generation Reader campaign. You can find out more, and donate further, here.
The workshop fee of £30 (incl. VAT) is payable in full online. Please note that payment instalment plans are available for all W&A events, writing courses and editing services. Contact W&A Admin on [email protected] so that we can find a payment schedule that works for you.
This is a live online event which will be presented using video conferencing software. Joining instructions and full guidance will be provided by the W&A Team a week before the event start-date. Please note, all event timings are in UK time.
To view our event refund and cancellation policy, please click here.
Accessible to All
- It’s of real importance to Writers & Artists that our events and courses remain accessible to all.
- Writers & Artists has made one bursary place available for this event as part of our accessibility scheme. Please visit our bursaries page to find out how to apply for a bursary to the event. Please note, this bursary place has now been assigned.
- Payment instalment plans are available for all W&A events, writing courses and editing services. Contact W&A Admin on [email protected] so that we can find a payment schedule that works for you.
- At the speaker's discretion, event materials will be made available to attendees after the masterclass.
- A link to a recording of the masterclass will be circulated after the event. This will be made available to event attendees only, and for a time-limited period.
- If you'd like to receive a transcript of the session, please do let us know and we can circulate following the session.
- This event will include written text and visuals. Please contact us in advance so that we can make arrangements to be sure all documents appear in a format that works for you.
- If you’d like to attend but have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility, then please email [email protected]