My latest interview, this time with a lovely professor in India:

https://www.drotaku.in/post/t%C3%AAte-%C3%A0-t%C3%AAte-with-sean-michael-wilson-graphic-artist-extraordinaire-from-scotland?fbclid=IwAR0lCDha4ANvVmZeYBSULQMCaLuWQ_U_0nctkodwt-1mbGS5mWwupSBezN0

 New book from Hand Readers Press (my new self publishing arm): 
 
"SYSTEMS: Reflections on capitalism, communism, anarchism and what a better economic and social system may look like
 
The book delves into various debates, cliches, conversations and arguments encountered over a number of years. Following George Orwell’s advice to write in a way that is plain, direct but engaging, Wilson avoids academic jargon and getting bogged down in complicated political or economic theory.     
  
All the issues are laid out alphabetically, covering a wide range of aspects of what system we can use to govern and organise ourselves. Throughout the book Wilson uses his own abbreviation of BESS as a shorthand for a better economic and social system. "  
 
March 2023, 224 pages. Click image to go to main page

Our George Orwell biographical graphic novel - included in the new sale event by the publisher, saying:

"We’re all sick of hearing about Prince Harry.

Let’s focus instead on the lives of comrades throughout history – those people who risked everything to force progressive and revolutionary change in the interests of the oppressed.

All books here 50% off until 19th January."

https://www.plutobooks.com/biographies-you-want-to-read/?utm_source=Pluto+Press+Newsletters&utm_campaign=4f1bc1a8ad-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_01_11_05_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-4f1bc1a8ad-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=4f1bc1a8ad&mc_eid=3d568fa65a

There’s a nice article about me and my books in The National this weekend, Scotland’s pro-independence newspaper.

Although Kumamoto isn’t all that much like Edinburgh actually. It’s about the same size and also has a castle right in the middle, plus lots of narrow old roads in the centre… but apart from that there’s big differences between the two. And, i am not specifically a manga creator, I am a comic book creator in the wider sense. 

As to me being the only Scot (or Brit) doing professional level work in manga in Japan.... i always point out this is not much to show off about, its basically a bad thing. It shows the lack of internationalisation of Japan, cultural differences and language problems that make it very tough for any foreign creators to make headway in Japan. I wish it were not the case and welcome more folk trying...i am happy to give advice, and often do already.

https://www.thenational.scot/culture/20898183.sean-michael-wilson-scot-work-manga-professionally-japan/

Out today in ebook.

A collection of my newspaper, website and magazine articles and essays, 2012-2022, on aspects of Japan, ecology, comic books, music, politics and more.

Published by Hand Readers Press, which is my new self publishing press. Nice low price for the 180 page book. Check it out please folks. Indie self publishing needs you.

​seanmichaelwilson.weebly.com/articles-and-essays-ebook.html

Glad to say that our book is included in an impressive new HUMBLE BUNDLE that just started, of book on JAPANESE ART AND CULTURE from the respected publisher Stonebridge Press.

"...Humble Bundles, collections of games and books sold at a price determined by the purchaser and with a portion of the price going towards charity and the rest split between the creators"

So you get these ebooks at very low prices, help us out and help out a charity. Our book is THE MINAMATA STORY, plus there are lots of other good books in the bundle, including JAPAN FROM ANIME TO ZEN from David Watts Barton and THE ART OF SETTING STONES from Marc Peter Keane

Nice.

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/japanese-art-and-culture-stone-bridge-press-books

Kenan Malik continues to be the most interesting regular writer for the Guardian/Observer, and today makes this very important point, which I often say myself. Something which is often neglected or avoided in a way that is making the improvement of society harder, not easier:

"It is good that national institutions reflect the diversity of the nation. Yet the focus on ethnic and gender diversity often obscures the fact that there is little diversity when it comes to class. Our understanding of “diversity” is itself not very diverse.

And while a black or Asian prime minister would be a historic first, and symbolic of a more relaxed, liberal society, I would rather have a pale, male prime minister who I knew would jettison austerity policies, create a fairer tax system, defend abortion rights, restore trade union power, abandon the Rwanda deportation scheme, take a robust stance on free speech and have a decent plan for social care than someone who might enlarge the diversity spectrum but would rehash the same policies that have helped create the Britain we have today – stalked by stagnation and inequality.

It is the policies that matter, whoever delivers them."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/17/give-me-a-pale-male-prime-minister-with-great-policies-over-diverse-one-reinforcing-inequality

Glad to announce that our book has got another award. This time from international magazine SKIPPING STONES:  
 
“We are pleased to recommend the following outstanding multicultural and nature books and teaching resources as the winners of our 2022 book awards. These picture books, chapter books, novels and nonfiction works promote an understanding of cultures, cultivate cooperation and/or encourage a deeper awareness of nature, ecology, and diversity...” 
 
Our book, The Minamata Story: an ecotragedy, got an award in their ‘Nature and Ecology’ section. Nice! Looks like there are a lot of other interesting books there too. 
 
https://www.skippingstones.org/wp/book-awards/ ​

Interview with my wee self in the publisher's blog, talking about our new book, just out in the world (THIS world, the one we are standing in now ): the Japanese classic, Tale of Genji, sometimes considered the first novel ever - with very lovely art by Inko Ai Takita
I also mention books that ive been reading, including those by Noah Van Sciver Paul Buhle and Luke Healy

https://www.tuttlepublishing.com/blog/classics-comics-and-manga-an-interview-with-sean-michael-wilson/