Un Souffle à l’Aube: A Graphic Novel Depicting Mourning, Depression and Insomnia by Self-taught Illustrator Sarah Najjar

2023-06-03 12:54:44

Self-taught illustrator since 2017, Sarah Najjar took three years to produce “Un souffle à l’aube”, the first graphic novel that evokes mourning, depression and insomnia. Her character, Alma, shares the same life journey with her author.

From the outset, the epigraph sets the tone: “No one can reach dawn without going through the path of night. Khalil Gibran”. The little character of “A breath at dawn”, Alma, clocks every day between Lausanne and Bern. “When I arrive at the office, I put on my costume and the masquerade can begin”. Alma occupies a socially valued position, among many cool kids multilinguals with an impressive CV.

But since the suicide of a friend, life has lost its meaning and Alma sleep. The sleeping pills knocked him out, but did not give him the much hoped-for peaceful rest. Medicine brings him no answer. Alma feels disconnected from herself. So she will look for avenues in literature, yoga and shiatsu. And little by little, find his emotions, materialized in the book by clouds of colors. Alma finally finds the way out of the tunnel in acceptance, a philosophy that makes life…and death meaningful.

Excerpt from the graphic novel “Un souffle à l’aube” by Sarah Najjar. [Editions Slatkine]

Soul, the alter ego of Sarah Najjar

Sarah Najjar studied classics and socio-economics. She never walked the doors of art schools. Like her character, the author resigned from her job, yet so perfect on paper, to find meaning in life. She worked in education, diplomacy and communication before dropping everything.

“Alma, it’s a part of me. We have a similar life course. I actually have a friend who committed suicide and I have insomnia problems. Afterwards, I took a few liberties with the character who experiences things that I have not experienced”, explains the illustrator to the RTS.

A universal story

The cover of the book “Un souffle à l’aube” by Sarah Najjar. [édition Slatkine]“The character does not look like me too much, neither man nor woman, neither adult nor child. I wanted him to be universal, a bit like Mr. and Mrs. Everybody”, explains Sarah Najjar. Everyone can therefore identify with this character and the book offers many very expressive black and white drawings that refer to concrete situations that everyone knows, such as having the feeling of taking part in a masquerade when don’t like the job we practice or the fact of being a commuter…

In this graphic novel, Alma faces death. A theme dear to Sarah Najjar who, for her next project, will focus on people who work in jobs related to her.

Interview by Cécilia Mendoza

Adaptation web: ld

^{“A breath at dawn” by Sarah Najjar, Slatkine editions.}

^{Unpublished plates from the novel “Un souffle à l’aube” are currently on display at the Carouge Library in the canton of Geneva.}

^{Sarah Najjar will be signing at Payot Morges on June 17 and at the BD Delémont festival on June 18.}

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