Goblin Library Dispatch April 2025

Hello, how was April for you?

Last year, despite being elbow deep in the snake-arms of the Shenk, I was still madly applying for a lot of different prizes, fellowships, residencies and, it felt at times, every opportunity that crossed my path. This year, in the spirit of striking out in new directions, I am being a bit more discerning about applications.

Cove Park was worth giving part of April to, though. Keep an eye out for news on what new nonsense this may be for! And check out their programmes if you’re looking for residency support across multiple disciplines. They’re a treasure of a resource.

The race was on to complete the application before going down to Newcastle for Moving Parts Arts puppet festival…

While we were in Newcastle the short sighted and narrow minded Supreme Court judgement on biological sex was announced.

I stand in support of trans women, trans men and non-binary people. Read trans authors. Support your trans artists. Donate to trans-led charities and organisations.

Meanwhile, the corridors of The Great North Museum echoed with screaming children.

The play STARS , for which I made animation, is being remounted at Brixton House this summer. More on that next Dispatch. This year though, the short animated film that emerged from this work has enjoyed a little trip around the world.

At the beginning of June it will be playing at Magic Nights Queer Film Festival in Lesbos. My partner and I were going to go but unfortunately I’ll be needed in London for the play.

You should go though.

At the end of March and into April I was approached by a compiler at ACE Records with a commission request. There was a comic moment where it appeared that we could see one another’s emails but not our subsequent responses. I chased him through every contact form I could find to try and secure this work.

Finally we managed to connect in the ether and I am excited for this upcoming project.

I’ve loved ACE Records’ output for a very long time and was a little starstruck to be approached.

Finally, through my Palestine Comics last year, I became friends with a lecturer at The University of Kathmandhu. I’ve done a couple of artist talks for his classes and we’re trying to plan and scheme ways for me to go out and work with his students and other artist organisations in Nepal.

Just before leaving for Moving Parts, I ran an online comics workshop with this year’s cohort. Over an hour we each wrote a six panel comic. The work everyone produced was brilliant of course. Interesting, beautiful and profound.

It was the perfect way to leave one city for another.

That’s been April’s Art Life. I hope you enjoyed the puppet festival as a haunted and disjointed background to this missive. The images for this post were drawn in Newcastle City Library. A place I knew before only as the 2 a.m. stop for the London-bound Megabus.

Perhaps I will write a comic about puppets and buses.

Until next time.
Goblin Out.