Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: Lucie Bryon, Queen Camilla

Queen Camilla Presents Prize to Lucie Bryon for Thieves Graphic Novel

Queen Camilla presented the Entente Littéraire Prize to Lucie Bryon for her Thieves YA graphic novel published in 2022 by Nobrow.

Lucie Bryon has won the inaugural €8,000 Entente Littéraire Prize for her YA graphic novel Thieves published by Nobrow. She was awarded the prize alongside Manon Steffan Ros for the prose work, The Blue Book of Nebo. She was awarded the prize by Queen Camilla and Brigitte Macron, during an event celebrating the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, the diplomatic relationship between France and Britain.

Launched in 2023 during King Charles III and Queen Camilla's state visit to France, the prize aims to inspire "more young people to discover fiction from both sides of the Channel" and celebrates the "sharing of literary experiences between France and the UK". The prize is managed by the Institut Français du Royaume-Uni and the Royal Society of Literature (RSL).

Thieves was published in 2022 and was described thus; "Ella and Madeleine don't know it yet, but they're about to embark on the strangest romantic adventure of their lives, and it's not just their hearts that are getting stolen in this laugh-out-loud, capering graphic novel" with Buzzfeed calling it "A cute queer graphic novel set in France during the last year of high school…What follows is a charming coming-of-age story with lovely, emotive illustrations."

"What happened last night? Ella can't seem to remember a single thing from the party the night before at a mysterious stranger's mansion, and she sure as heck doesn't know why she's woken up in her bed surrounded by a magpie's nest of objects that aren't her own. And she can't stop thinking about her huge crush on Madeleine, who she definitely can't tell about her sudden penchant for kleptomania… But does Maddy have secrets of her own? Can they piece together that night between them and fix the mess of their chaotic personal lives in time to form a normal, teenage relationship? That would be nice."

And some heady quotes at the time…

• "Such a sweet and funny story with complex, flawed characters that you can't help but love." —Alice Oseman, creator of Heartstopper
• "With distinctive characters, lush art, and an off-kilter sapphic romance at its core, this will surely steal teen readers' hearts." —STARRED REVIEW, Booklist
• "Bryon renders both characters and backgrounds in lovely, lithe manga art, capturing the sheen of wealthy abodes and populated party scenes, as well as small gestures and moments between the lovebirds…This energizing work from a rising comics talent has YA crossover appeal." —STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly
• "Thieves is a rambunctious, charming story about high schoolers partying, falling in love, and committing acts of reverse larceny. The drawing style is incredibly appealing, with delightful acting and visual jokes that make this an absolute pleasure to read." —Molly Knox Ostertag, creator of The Witch Boy series and The Girl From the Sea
• "Reading Thieves is like going on a decidedly queer adventure – full of heart, tension, beauty, and so much love. Add in to that the gorgeous art, and you've got yourself a truly wonderful book." —Tillie Walden, creator of Are You Listening and Spinning
• "Lucie Bryon brings shōjo manga–inspired artwork to this queer high school romance." —Library Journal
• "Our favorite graphic novel this year." —Comix Experience

Lucie Bryon studied graphic design in Orléans, France and comics at the ESA St Luc Brussels, Belgium. She now lives in France and works for children's publishing, video game companies and various publications as an illustrator and comic artist.

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