Publisher's synopsis

A unique 128-page, textless graphic novel, in black, white and sepia, The Arrival draws its inspiration from tales of migrants in past and recent times. The central character is a middle-aged man who arrives in a strange new place and tries to find a place to live, a job and a handle on a new language. He encounters many challenges, all described entirely through visual sequences. The absence of words emphasises the strangeness of the situation and the loneliness experienced by many migrants, but the ending is full of affirmation and hope, when the wife and son the migrant had to leave behind are finally able to join him in their new homeland.

Awards

  • Winner 2006 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards, Premier’s Prize
  • Winner 2006 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards, Children’s Books
  • Winner 2007 New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards, Community Relations Commission Award
  • Winner 2007 Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year
  • Winner 2008 Angoulême International Comics Festival Prize for Best Comic Book for Là où vont nos pères (French edition of The Arrival)
  • Winner 2011 Peter Pan Award (Swedish translation of The Arrival)
  • Nominated 2008 Hugo Award for Best Related Book
  • Nominated 2008 Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist