UK manga artist collects international plaudits
Paul •
The Young Adult Library Services Association (a part of the American Library Association) have been handing out their prestigious annual awards for 2008, and rather than focus exclusively on traditional written literature, their main categories also include “Great Graphic Novels for Teens“. Naturally, several Japanese manga series (14, to be precise) made the cut, not least of all Yuki Urushibara’s Mushishi (the anime adaptation of which is currently being released in the UK by Revelation Films) and (Victorian romance) Emma by Kaoru Mori.
In a positive twist, YALSA also happened to select some “UK manga”, though not necessarily in the categories you would expect. Basically, the Sonia Leong illustrated Romeo & Juliet graphical novel was recognized as being amongst the “Best Books for Young Adults” and “Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers“, no doubt a great coup for the UK comic (and indeed, the ever-growing “UK manga”) scene.
