By the time necrotising fasciitis was diagnosed, it was almost too late to save artist Zara Slattery. Her husband and three children prepared for the worst. This astonishing graphic memoir shows how she lived to tell the tale of life inside and outside her coma.
In May 2013 Zara Slattery’s persistent sore throat turned into a deadly bacterial infection, after the paracetamol and ice pack prescribed by her GP failed to work.
The world of Zara’s 15-day drug-induced coma, which she describes as ‘being trapped in a nightmare state that you can’t wake up from’ is rendered as a full-colour fantasy, with mythological creatures appearing out of nowhere as she battles to protect her three children against the forces of evil that threaten to engulf her. Meanwhile, her husband Dan tries to keep family life going as he faces the most difficult task of all: preparing the children for the likely loss of their mother. His diary, and that of the nurses in the Intensive Care Unit, who kept of record of Zara’s illness, interweave to make a heartbreaking graphic memoir.
About the Author
Zara Slattery is a graphic novelist, illustrator and tutor. Her first full length graphic memoir, Coma Comic, was shortlisted for the Myriad First Graphic Novel Competition 2018 and longlisted for the Laydeez Do Comics Awards 2019. Zara is a comics finalist in The Arts Foundation Futures Awards. Having studied an MA in Design Communication at Manchester Metropolitan University exploring the interplay between illustration and theatre, Zara has brought her interests together in the form of graphic narratives. Her self-published comics include Two Birds (a graphic short collection with Myfawny Tristram) and Don't Call Me A Tomboy (A WildSlattern Production with Kirsten Wild).
Her work playfully explores identity, art and feminism. Zara was commissioned in 2012 to run Sketches By Boz comic workshops for the British Council in Greece and Malta. She teaches comic art, drawing and painting at the Friends Centre, Brighton and runs community workshops in Sussex and around the UK. She lives in Brighton.
Industry Reviews
'A remarkable insight into the mind of a body fighting for survival.' - Boudicca Fox-Leonard, The Telegraph. 'What an amazing, beautiful and honest book...so worth reading.' - Yolanta Gawlik, Instagram. 'I admired how the book's contrasting drawing styles recreate her locked-in mental state and her family's weeks of waiting - both parties in limbo, wondering what will come next.' - Rebecca Foster, Bookish Beck. 'COMA is an amazing book - I loved reading it. What a story. Another brilliant Myriad volume to inspire us all.' - Jude Cowan Montague. 'I figured two evenings would do it. I read it in one, unable to step away from the heart-wrenching experience. The fragile nature of our health, the brilliance of our NHS, the kindness of neighbours, and the importance of family. It's a book that shows us what's really important. Genuinely moving and extremely thought-provoking, Coma is a book everyone should spend some time with.' - Simon Chadwick, Cartoonists Club of Great Britain. 'Your book is just incredible. Your illustrations really highlight what you went through in a way that the written word wouldn't be able to do.' - Sarah Gorrell, BBC Radio Sussex. 'A stunning piece of work. In this extraordinary debut graphic novel, Zara splits the narrative between her husband coping at home, alongside the nightmare visions she was experiencing while the doctors fought to keep her alive. A beautifully illustrated and moving portrait of love and fortitude.' - Steve, Dave's Comics, Brighton. 'Extraordinary... a beautifully illustrated and moving portrait of love and fortitude.' - Dave's Comics, Instagram. 'Truly terrific, and terrifying. There isn't really anything else like it. The artwork is stunning. The structure is spot-on, without unnecessary exposition and it begins and ends at just the right points. It is a hallucinatory masterpiece which tells a tale of tenderness and family love - an incredible work of art, and so important.' - Ian Williams, GP and co-founder Graphic Medicine. 'A coma story, a love story, and the best case I've seen for diary writing. A story of medical misfortune set against the background of everyday life. You find yourself living alongside a family and within a community you recognise, you watch them coping and carrying on. At the same time you hover over their beloved Zara's bed, drawn into her terrible imaginings, fearful for how she will emerge from this life-changing experience, but grateful for every time someone reports "you are still alive". Prepare to be moved. I certainly was.' - Bobbie Farsides, Professor of Clinical and Biomedical Ethics, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex. 'What a fantastic book. The interweaving of Zara's delirium memory alongside her husband's diary offers insight into the world of the ICU patient and their family. It opens the eyes of both junior and senior healthcare professionals to the realities of patient and family experience, the acute distress, trauma, and confusion.' - Dr Julie Highfield, Intensive Care Society. 'The illustrations grab you by the insides and pull you into the author's world that has been opened up through this wonderful book. Sadness, hope and honesty are your guides.' - Dr Matt Morgan. 'A completely engrossing account... mesmerising artwork.' - Gnash Comics.
