Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Ava Dellaira, graphic novel, Love Letters To The Dead, Talia Dutton

Love Letters To The Dead To Be Adapted Into A Graphic Novel

Love Letters To The Dead by Ava Dellaira to be adapted into a graphic novel with Talia Dutton.

Published Thu, 30 Oct 2025 12:35:04 -0500

Article Summary

Love Letters to the Dead is being adapted into a YA graphic novel by Ava Dellaira and artist Talia Dutton.
The story follows Laurel, a teen coping with grief by writing letters to famous icons who have passed away.
The graphic novel adaptation is set to be published by First Second in autumn 2028, edited by Joy Peskin.
The book explores themes of loss, healing, family, and self-discovery in a poignant epistolary format.

Love Letters to the Dead, written by Ava Dellaira, and published in 25 territories, is to be adapted into a YA graphic novel with Dellaira and artist Talia Dutton. This story about 15-year-old Laurel begins with an assignment for English class—write a letter to a dead person—and turns into an epistolary exploration of grief, family, friendship, and first love, told in a series of missives to icons like Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, and River Phoenix. Ava Dellaira says, "So excited to be reuniting with my first ever, forever beloved editor @jpeskin74, and teaming up with the ultra talented @super_taya to bring Love Letters to the Dead to life as a graphic novel!" Talia says "What's this? An announcement? Surprise! I just signed a contract for my next project (that I can talk about anyways!) I'm absolutely thrilled to be adapting Ava Dellaria's book, Love Letters to the Dead and to work with the incredible team at First Second – keep an eye out for news about this in the future! I'm also keeping with a brand of only making books about sisters and grief somehow…"

Originally published in 2014, it is described thus: "Sometimes the best letters are the ones that go unanswered. It begins as an assignment for English class: write a letter to a dead person – any dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain – he died young, and so did Laurel's sister May – so maybe he'll understand a bit of what Laurel is going through. Soon Laurel is writing letters to lots of dead people – Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, River Phoenix, Amelia Earhart… it's like she can't stop. And she'd certainly never dream of handing them in to her teacher. She writes about what it's like going to a new high school, meeting new friends, falling in love for the first time – and how her family has shattered since May died. But much as Laurel might find writing the letters cathartic, she can't keep real life out forever. The ghosts of her past won't be contained between the lines of a page, and she will have to come to terms with growing up, the agony of losing a beloved sister, and the realisation that only you can shape your destiny. A lyrical, haunting and stunning debut from the protégé of Stephen Chbosky (THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER)."

Joy Peskin at FSG has bought world rights to the Love Letters to the Dead YA graphic novel adaptation to be published in the autumn of 2028. Richard Florest at Rob Weisbach Creative Management represented the Ava Dellaira, and Hannah Mann at Writers House represented Talia Dutton.

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