Join award-nominated graphic novelist Chie Hosaka in discussion with celebrated artist, author, comic book-maker Philippa Rice.

We're celebrating the launch of Chie's debut graphic novel, ‘Nina’.

With magical realism and wry everyday humour, ‘Nina’ tells the story of a grieving 32 year-old woman who moves back in with her busy-body widow mum. Inspired by Chie’s experience as a Japanese migrant woman, the book explores grief, trauma, second-generation migrant identity, child-loss and motherhood.

During this In Conversation, Chie and Philippa will discuss their creative processes, sharing sketchbooks and early drafts to explore the inspiration behind ‘Nina’, the line between autobiography and fiction, their shared love of analogue processes, how they keep inspired as Nottingham-based artists, and much more.

This In Conversation will include a Q&A, book signing and a chance to meet and chat with both Chie and Philippa.

Chie Hosaka is a Japanese graphic novelist and illustrator based in Nottingham. The writing of her debut graphic novel, ‘Nina’, was supported using public funding through Arts Council England’s Developing Your Creative Practice grant and project grant, where she was mentored by author-illustrator Emily Howarth-Booth. In 2025, ‘Nina’ was long-listed for the First Graphic Novel Award. Chie teaches Graphic Design at Nottingham Trent University as a visiting lecturer.

Philippa Rice is an artist from Nottingham, UK, who works in a number of different mediums. She is an author, illustrator, cartonnist and animator - she also makes crochet characters and write songs. Her works include romantic auto-bio graphic novel Soppy, fantasy novel, Reignclowd Palace and picture book Uprooted!

Description supplied by the event organiser.