The Islands of Birds

The Islands of Birds Part one

GRAPHIC NOVEL Francesca Stoppani and Giovanna Paola Ruggiero

FOREWORD

Francesca Stoppani created and wrote the story based on her personal experience during the COVID-19 summer of 2020. Giovanna Paola Ruggiero is the illustrator and magician who brought the overall vision to life. The whole project has been completed remotely, with Francesca in the Faroe Islands/Iceland and Giovanna in Italy. The location of the novel is inspired by real places in the Faroe Islands, while the birds are all species that exist in the North Atlantic.

We worked really hard and put our whole selves into it. I think this captures the whole pandemic experience, from despair to resilience, from hopelessness to creativity. This graphic novel leaves room for various interpretations, even though it originated as an allegory of the inner void left by COVID-19. The issues touched upon are also linked to depression, mental health, anxiety, and the search for identity.