The Art of Pho is a graphic novel by the 2008 winner of the Observer/ Jonathan Cape Graphic Short Story prize: Julian Hanshaw. This year was the first year I didn’t enter the competition after three failed attempts, partly due to time but also because this book made me feel like I’d never stand a chance in a million years!

It’s a strange tale about a sort of pig-like ceature called Little Blue, who finds himself stranded in Ho Chi Minh City and sets up a small business selling Pho (recipe included) in the streets. He befriends a group of gap-year travellers, being particularly drawn to the kind-hearted yet unattainable Sandy. Whilst fending for himself and dealing with the pains of innocence and naivety and unrequited love, Little Blue is on a personal journey to discover his original identity. 

What really made The Art of Pho a good read was the art- it’s as much a work of graphic design as it is illustration and storytelling. Every page is beautifully and thoughtfully designed and I found myself just staring at this book in wonder, with a sickening feeling that I still have a long way to go in my own comic work!