b. 1963, I am a UK based anthropologist-turned-illustrator, comics artist and comics scholar and author of award winning graphic memoir, Billy, Me & You (2011 Myriad Editions) based on the experience of bereavement following the death of my 2-year-old son. My AHRC funded PhD from the University of Sussex on A Cultural History of Feminist Cartoons and Comics in Britain from 1970 to 2010 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. My most recent book includes a more theoretical approach UK Feminist Cartoons and Comics: A Critical Survey (2020 Palgrave Macmillan). Both publications received Broken Frontier “Best book about comics” awards. I am currently working on my second graphic novel.
I co-founded and direct the women-led, welcoming all international non profit Community Interest Company LDComics. In 2018 we launched the first women-only prize for graphic novels in progress at our inaugural festival with support from Arts Council England. We expanded our festival to 2 days in 2019 and ran it online in 2020 in response to COVID-19. This activity was also funded by Arts Council England. Our monthly activity is the online hosting of presentations from around the world. Free to attend, with donations welcome. Links via the website. In 2022 I lead the strand of activity REVEAL! Women’s Comics E. Africa – UK a British Council International Collaboration working closely with partner Msanii Kimani wa Wanjiru of Kymsnet Media, Kenya and artists from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and the UK. The extension of the project will be delivered in the early part of 2023.
Since 2017 I have worked as artist facilitator on the British Council Creating Heroines project, working with women artists from the UK and from five South Asian countries. 2021 saw the third iteration of this project, expanding to include 24 women artists from 6 South Asian countries. From 2018-2019 I was in receipt of an Arts Council England International Development Fund Award to develop “Expectations” a collaborative project, with Kokaachi in Kerala, India and Indian illustrator Priya Kuriyan.
Since 2014 I have worked as a lecturer in Critical Theory and History on the Animation and Illustration BA Honours degree courses at Kingston University and London College of Communication, University of the Arts, London. In addition I regularly deliver practical comics workshops to Medical Humanities BA students at Imperial College London and to design students at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London. I speak publicly and deliver comics workshops – recently synchronously to a variety of different audiences on a regular basis Visit my events page to see forthcoming events.
I live with artist spouse John Plowman in Norfolk at The Grange where we run The Grange Projects
Nicola Streeten 