Since Gaza became a global topic, people have found Joe Sacco's graphic novel "Palestine" published 30 years ago online, but not in bookstores. That is why American and Belgrade publishers are preparing its reissue
The conflict in the Middle East has caused increased interest in the graphic novel "Palestine" by Joe Sacco, which was published 30 years ago and has been out of print for a long time, so the American publisher of this book, Fantagraphics, has announced a new edition.
The Belgrade publisher "Rende", which in 2007 published "Palestina" in the Serbian language, translated by Srbislav Jeličić, reveals that we should expect a reprint in our area as well.
Joe Sacco is an American journalist of Maltese origin, and a pioneer of comic journalism. "I wrote and drew Palestine after a two-month stay in the occupied territories during the winter of 1991-92, almost ten years ago," Sacco wrote in the 2001 foreword.
In the following, he recalls that "after that visit, the "peace process" was started, which culminated in a large number of agreements or so-called agreements - some of which were widely announced as "crucial" - and the occupation of some territories by the Palestinian Authority led by Yasser Arafat which the Israelis retreated from. "Despite the Nobel Peace Prizes being handed out, not a single major issue - return or compensation for Palestinian refugees, illegal Jewish settlements, the status of Jerusalem - has been resolved."
His "Palestine" was published 30 years ago in nine volumes, and then in 2003 in Great Britain they were combined into one book. It has won numerous accolades and is used as an example of wartime conflict reporting.
Special book
The owner and editor of the "Rende" publishing house, Slađana Novaković, tells the "Vremena" portal that, apart from them, "no one in the region has published Sak's graphic novel".
"It was interesting to us," he explains, "because it fit in with the policy of the house, we always publish intriguing titles even at the cost of risk." It suited us because of the new form, the graphic novel was unknown here, especially comic journalism. In truth, I might not have noticed this book if Aleksandar Zograf had not drawn my attention to it."
Novaković says that "the book was sold for a long time", "that comic book fans were mostly interested in it", and that she is not surprised by this new interest caused by the war between Palestine and Israel.
"Because the book is unusually good, and as far as I know it is considered special among the books written on the subject because Sacco managed to convey his emotion about the Palestinian people." Since Gaza became a world topic, people have found it on the Internet, but not in bookstores," says Slađana Novaković.
An Ode to the Courage of a Palestinian
Fantagraphicx co-founder Gary Groth said the same to The Guardian, explaining why they are now reprinting Sack's book. "In the last two months, retailers and wholesalers began to order the book in much larger quantities than before, which indicates that every element in the consumer-trader chain has a need for it again."
On the occasion of the reissue, Sacco told "The Guardian" that he is glad that this comic is being sought after again and that it is reaching a new audience, but that he is also overwhelmed with sadness.
"That this graphic novel is still relevant is a testament to the enduring tragedy of the Palestinians, even as it is, in some ways, a tribute to their courage and refusal to surrender."
The book also includes a foreword by the Palestinian-American academic and critic Edward Said. Among other things, he highlights the Gaza episode “a life that consists of wandering aimlessly within the inhospitable confines of that place, wandering and, mostly, waiting, waiting, waiting. With the exception of a few writers and poets, no one has ever described that dire state better than Joe Sacco. His drawings are certainly more visual than anything you can read or see on television. Together with his friend and photographer, the Japanese Saburo (who seems to have lost his way at one point), Joe listens and watches carefully, sometimes with a touch of skepticism, sometimes overwhelmed by what he is experiencing, but most often full of sympathy and humor, as when he notes that the Palestinian tea often sugared beyond measure, or that Palestinians constantly gather, perhaps unwillingly, to exchange stories of suffering and pain, like fishermen or hunters comparing the size of their catch."
Read daily news, analysis, commentary and interviews at www.vreme.com
In the contract that Niš concluded with the entrepreneurial shop "Čičak 2023" from Trstenik on cooperation at the International Film Festival, the price of the work was not specified, which is not the only irregularity in the organization of this festival.
Holding the Book Fair in its traditional place, reforming the book support system - these are some of the goals of the Initiative 3 platform launched by the publishers Bajac, Hamović and Božović
Three days ago, an artistic painting was reported missing from the Provincial Government building in Novi Sad, and it seems that it disappeared back in August.
The Association of Literary Translators of Serbia and the PEN Center gave the most votes to Ljubinka Milinčić in the proposal for a national pension. After that, three members resigned from the Association
Atelier 212 celebrates its anniversary on Sunday, November 15 at 8:30 p.m. on stage "Peter Kralj" - 100th performance of the play "Constellations"
At the moment when the institutions of the Republic are destroyed, when Vučić's octopus is still alive, when people are disgusted by the injustice and the stench left behind by the Essenes regime, we have, as Machiavelli said, only civic virtue as the fuel with which we can return to the beginning
The four independent members of REM are an example of perseverance and civic responsibility. Rodoljub Šabić even, upon leaving the premises of REM, after the sentencing of the Informer, experienced that the Essenes insulted him, hit him with their hands and feet. But that too will soon be over
Vučić pardoned the batterers and Dijana Hrkalović. The election winners should abolish the sultan's power that allows one man to run afoul of the entire judicial system
Interview: Branko Stamenković, public prosecutor of the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office
A black picture and the breakdown of the rule of law subscribeThe archive of the weekly Vreme includes all our digital editions, since the very beginning of our work. All issues can be downloaded in PDF format, by purchasing the digital edition, or you can read all available texts from the selected issue.
See all
