Think Freedom of Information is a bit of a dry topic? Not when you mix it with some exuberant inky comic art, it’s not!
Two Finnish cartoonists, Siiri Viljakka and Lauri Tuomi-Nikula, are visiting the UK to speak about their comic book Last Words. This graphic novella imagines one of the founding fathers of Freedom of Information, Anders Chydenius, returning from the grave to see how his ideas are surviving in the modern world.
Siiri and Lauri will be speaking at four informal meet-ups in London, Brighton and Hastings — entry is free.
Artwork: Siiri Viljakka & Lauri Tuomi-Nikula
If you’d like to hear Siiri and Lauri speaking about comics, FOI, and how the two can interact, you can register now at no cost.
- October 24 (Monday): Cartoon County in Brighton. Register via Eventbrite or Facebook
- October 25 (Tuesday): Citizen Beta in London. Register on Citizen Beta’s own site.
- October 26 (Wednesday): Gosh Comics in London. Register via Eventbrite or Facebook
- October 27 (Thursday): Wow and Flutter in Hastings. Register via Eventbrite or Facebook
At the Monday, Wednesday and Thursday events, the talk will focus mainly on comics with a side order of FOI.
At Citizen Beta on Tuesday, it will be the other way around, with Siiri and Lauri fitting in among other speakers on the topic of FOI and civic technologies – full details here. So take your pick, depending on how you prefer your arts/civic rights balance!
The trip has been made possible by generous donations from several people via a crowdfunder. Thanks to everyone who donated, but special thanks to Dan Berry’s Make It Then Tell Everybody podcast, the Hastings 1066 Country Cartoon Festival, and my dad 🙂