France Link

Posy Simmonds wins top French graphic novel prize

Posy Simmonds, author of such works as Tamara Drewe and Gemma Bovery, has become the first Briton to win the grand prix at the Angoulême international graphic novel festival.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

Posy Simmonds, a British graphic novelist, has won the top prize at the Angoulême comics festival, considered the most prestigious in the genre, reports The Times.

The author of such works as Tamara Drewe and Gemma Bovery is the first Briton to win the grand prix at Angoulême and only the fifth woman in the festival’s 51-year history.

The award comes less than a decade after female comic strip artists boycotted the festival over claims that the artform was tainted by widespread sexism.

Simmonds, 78, who is widely credited with having breathed new life into the graphic novel concept, was given the award for her lifetime’s work, including her books for children and adults.

Read more of this report from The Times.