© Samuel Adams

The fragile ecological balance of the Himalayan regions including Sikkim, is already strongly impacted by the effects of climate change, and this will be a focus point of the stories I’m hoping to curate.

Simon Lamouret, a graphic novelist and illustrator from Toulouse, France, studied at Beaux-Arts d’Angoulême and École des Arts Décoratifs in Strasbourg. After moving to Bangalore in 2013, his experiences there inspired two graphic novels, Bangalore (Warum, 2017) and L’Alcazar (Sarbacane), which capture the city’s construction sites and workers. L’Alcazar was also published in English by Bharat Murthy. During his residency at Rachna Books in Gangtok, Simon collaborated with local journalist Pema Wangchuk on a 13-page short story that may become part of his upcoming novel In the Land of the Lamas, which blends mystical tales of Baba Harbhajan with local legends and military traditions. His short story was launched at a storytelling event hosted by Rachna Bookstore, and the novel has already piqued the interest of a French publisher. Simon also participated in Drukyul’s Literature and Arts Festival, where he joined a panel on "Global Perspectives in Visual Narratives" and led a workshop, "Building Stories: An Introduction to Comic Books," helping participants explore visual storytelling through comic strips.