The Authority File Round-Up: July 2025

Last month's series spotlighted refugee comics and the recently published title, Graphic Refuge.

Posted on August 12, 2025 in Blog

In the past decade the world has seen an influx of comics and graphic narratives posted online, particularly those depicting the lives of refugees. July’s series centered on the genre of refugee comics, showcasing digital and print examples and underscoring comics’ ability to foster discussion and solidarity. Our guests, co-authors of Graphic Refuge, addressed the nuances of the term “refugee” and underlined the growth of comics journalism and its notable artists/authors. They also detailed the political and social impact of refugee comics by spotlighting works depicting life in Gaza amid the ongoing genocide and explored how “refugee refusal” can serve as a form of empowerment and agency. We hope you find the episodes pertinent and stimulating.

---

July’s Series

Last month’s series featured the coauthors of Graphic Refuge: Visuality and Mobility in Refugee Comics, Candida Rifkind, Professor of English at the University of Winnipeg, and Dominic Davies, Reader in English at City St George’s, University of London. Our guests began with an overview of refugee comics, considering their readership and the complex relationship between artists and refugees. The speakers also explained how their title moves beyond trauma studies, instead focusing on refugees’ holistic experiences. Candida and Dominic also chronicled the rise of comics journalism and discussed its core tenants. Brought to you by Wilfrid Laurier University Press.

Listen to the episodes: 

• What the Implied Reader of Refugee Comics Tells Us about the Genre and Citizenship
• How Graphic Refuge Explores the Ethics of Artist-Refugee Relationships
• Can Refugee Comics Effect Political Change? Discussing Comics Journalism and “Refugeeness”
• Expanding Refugee Comics through Interdisciplinarity, Documenting the War on Gaza, and Moving Beyond Trauma Studies

---

What’s Coming Up in August

August features a timely series on the importance of articulating the academic library’s value in today’s political climate. Our speakers delve into the challenges of maintaining funding and the importance of having a seat at the table with leadership, highlighting ways to better align the library’s mission with the university’s. Our guests further underscore the need to pair testimonials with meaningful metrics and share how the library can build relationships with other stakeholders on campus. Don’t miss the first episode.

---

---

---

You can find more episodes on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks for listening! See you next month.

---

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates!

Get each month’s round-up sent directly to your inbox. Sign me up!

---

Related Posts