In historic news, the Man Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious literary award written and published in English, has nominated a graphic novel for the first time since the creation of this award in 1969, Nick Drnaso’s Sabrina has been longlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize. Now it may not win, the competition is fierce as the long list contains a lot of strong contenders, but it is nevertheless a historic moment. The Man Booker Prize winner receives £50,000 as well as the £2,500 awarded to each of the six shortlisted authors. The shortlist will be announced on September 20th and the winner on October 16th.

Sabrina is a graphic novel I have yet to read, but it appears to be the strongest contender yet for best graphic novel of the year and another solid book from Drawn & Quarterly. This is the follow-up to Nick Drnaso’s critically acclaimed graphic novel Beverly. Sabrina tells the story of a mysterious disappearance of a woman named Sabrina. D&Q describes the graphic novel as follow:

Sabrina depicts a modern world devoid of personal interaction and responsibility, where relationships are stripped of intimacy through glowing computer screens. An indictment of our modern state, Drnaso contemplates the dangers of a fake news climate. Timely and articulate, Sabrina leaves you gutted, searching for meaning in the aftermath of disaster.

We’ll see if Drnaso’s graphic novel will become the first winner of the Man Booker Prize. As it stands, this is another sign of how graphic novels have become a respected form of literature.

You can find more details on the Man Booker Prize at their website and read more about Sabrina over at Drawn and Quarterly’s website.