A girl lies on her bed in a sparsely furnished room. She has just moved to a new city with her mother and father. Her head is swimming with the anxiety of starting a new school in the morning. In an attempt to soothe her daughter, the girl’s mother digs out an old, beloved poetry book from the unpacked boxes. Before they have time to read something from it, her mother is called away. The girl is drawn to an old nursery rhyme about a monster. She reads it before falling asleep.
And then the trouble starts…
The next day the girl wakes to silence. Stealing downstairs she finds the monster from the poem, The Shenk, in her house. He has killed her parents, taken over her life and stolen her name.
Now we must follow The Girl through the many worlds as she searches for her Mama’s story book (now stolen), her name (perhaps only hidden) and the clues she will need to help her fight The Shenk.
The Shenk: Oja, Catwitch, The Girl, The Goblin, Heron and a Librarian
The Shenk is a story of displacement, lost and stolen power and the search for a place to belong. It began as a web comic in 2018 and in 2021 I was awarded a grant from Creative Scotland to complete the first draft of the book as a graphic novel. Now the Girl’s story is being released as monthly comics for the duration of 2024.
The Shenk is told in 6 parts, woven through with six folktales. Stories within the story which hold the key to The Girl overcoming her monster.
You can buy the comics here or by clicking on any of the images below.
