Conundrum Press has launched Emanata, a new young adult graphic novel imprint driven by social equity that will publish work created by comic artists living in Canada.

Sal Sawler, a Quill & Quire contributor, will take on the role of Emanata’s YA acquisitions editor in addition to their current role as Conundrum Press’s marketing manager. Sawler is looking for projects aimed at youth aged 12-18 that feature characters in the same age range.

“I’m also specifically seeking character-driven stories – think Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol, Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks, and This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki,” says Sawler. “Finally, I’m looking for projects with a strong balance of art and writing – both elements should contribute equally to the work of telling the story.”

Emanata is currently seeking submissions from agents representing comic artists as well as Deaf and Disabled, POC, and 2SLGBTQIA+ creators with or without an agent. Submissions are to be emailed to [email protected] and require the following:

• 30 complete pages of comics
• A synopsis and artist’s statement (documents, video files, and audio recordings accepted)
• A biography that includes any related work and/or education (documents, video files, and audio recordings accepted)

“For I Read Canadian Day this year, I collected piles of books by Canadian children’s authors and posted them on Instagram and Twitter. As I was pulling graphic novels off the shelves, I realized how few Canadian-based creators were represented in our family’s collection. The lack of representation in my own collection is echoed within the Canadian book industry, even though there’s no shortage of talented artists with a strong sense for storytelling living here,” says Sawler. “One of my goals for Emanata is to carve out a space that showcases their stories. We also plan to publish stories that are truly representative of the people who live here, and we plan to do everything we can to make Emanata an equitable place to publish.”

The deadline for submissions is August 30, 2021.