I am anthropologist-turned-illustrator and author of award winning graphic memoir, Billy, Me & You (2011 Myriad Editions). I work to commission and contribute comics to various projects (see the pages on my website). Since 2017 I have been working as artist facilitator on the British Council Creating Heroines project, working with women artists from the UK and from five South Asian countries.
I co-founded and direct the women-led, welcoming all international forum Laydeez do Comics and in 2018 we launched the first women-only prize for graphic novels in progress at our inaugural festival with support from Arts Council England. 2019 sees the second iteration of our festival on 30-31 March, with further strands of activity being introduced and developed. A second award from Arts Council England is supporting the 2019- 2020 activity.
I have a PhD from the University of Sussex on A Cultural History of Feminist Cartoons and Comics in Britain from 1970 to 2010. This informed the The Inking Woman 250 years of women cartoons in Britain (2018 Myriad Editions) which I co-edited and which is aimed at a general reader. I am currently in receipt of an Arts Council England and British Council’s International Development Fund Award to develop “Expectations” a collaborative project, with Kokaachi in Kerala, India and Indian illustrator Priya Kuriyan.
Since 2014 I have lectured in Critical Theory and History at Kingston University, London College of Communication, University of the Arts, London and in Cultural Studies in the Media, Film and Music department at the University of Sussex. In addition I run comics workshops regularly in a variety of contexts and contribute to the syllabus in creative writing, and humanities at universities and institutions in the UK and globally.
I live in a converted Methodist chapel in Lincolnshire with my artist spouse John Plowman and sometimes our art student daughter Sally Plowman. It’s available to rent and sleeps 8, bookable via air bnb see below.
Get in touch!
nicolastreeten@yahoo.com
