Waters of Death and Life: The Evolution of an ‘Ethno-Graphic’

Collaborating with illustrator Ben Thomas, we have embarked on a journey of taking the ethnographic written text and converting it into an ‘ethno-graphic’ novel.This piece presents the evolution of working with single images, organising single images into a sequence amplified with interview transcripts, to the creation of comic panels. Each sequence explores the qualities illustration can bring to ethnog- raphy: empathetic empathy, ethnographic anonymity, alternative modes of storytelling, and repre- senting the intangible elements of participant’s everyday lives. Whilst this project is in-process, the potential of graphic anthropology, as an interdisciplinary activity, to aid the communication and anal- ysis of ethnographic research beyond disciplinary boundaries offers new pathways for academic and empathetic exchange.