Since the summer of 2019, I have been working on a new graphic novel project: A biography of Emmie Arbel who was born in The Hague but now lives in Israel. As a child aged 6-8 years, she was deported and survived three concentration camps in the holocaust.
The project is led by Dr. Charlotte Schallié, a Holocaust historian at the University of Victoria, Canada. The initiative aligns survivors with three graphic artists across three continents, and I’m very happy that I’m joined by great colleagues like Gilad Seliktar (Israel) and Miriam Libicki (Canada). Key partners include the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the Vancouver Holocaust education center, the University of Haifa (Israel), the Stanley Burton Centre for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Leicester (UK), Ravensbrück Memorial in Germany and Institut für Zeitgeschichte of Munich, Germany.
At the moment, I’m holding interviews with Emmie Arbel, doing historical research and I am starting to draw. I’m very grateful to work with the wonderful Emmie Arbel and feel excited about being a part in this international project.
I’ll keep you updated about the process and results. More about the project: here, here or here
Barbara Yelin