Sectarianism graphic novel launched

A new free graphic novel to help adult learners tackle sectarianism in their communities has been launched by Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs.
Walk the Walk was developed by the Scottish Book Trust with input from literacy learners and support workers, and will help tackle literacy and improve understanding of sectarianism, it is claimed.
Speaking at the launch, Wheelhouse said communities hold the solution to tackling the problem. “Scotland is a modern, 21st century country, and we want to put behind us the prejudices of the past, and anything that helps with that is very welcome indeed,” he said.
The book takes the form of a play script alongside storyboard illustrations, and follows two firm friends, Rab and Robbie, who live at opposite ends of the same street. Writer Gowan Calder said the team had learned from a previous project, Skint, which tackles issues about financial exclusion. “They read it in the class like a play; it helps people identify with the characters. Apparently, what happens all the time is people are loath to get involved but then when they see everybody else playing the characters, they want to,” she said.

Calder and artist Jill Calder both found input from adult learners invaluable during the creation of the book. "The only people you can really care about and focus on is the learners. You say ‘is this authentic? Is this real? Does this feel true to your experience?’ As far as we’re concerned the audience has to get the book, and it is an incredibly complicated subject but if you don’t push it to a point of conversation with the learners then what is the point of doing it?"

Jill Calder said it was like drawing a cinematic storyboard. "They said they liked the roughness of the drawings. It’s maybe a bad comparison to make, but it was like a court reporter drawing, observational drawing," she said.

Danny, a learner at Adult Education Bathgate, said: “[After] reading, people can’t just say, ‘oh, he’s just doing that because he’s a Celtic fan,’ or whatever. They are forced to think ‘this is someone’s sister’ instead.”
The book is one of 44 projects funded by the Scottish Government in a £9m drive to tackle the root causes of sectarianism in communities.