Das Spiel der Schwalben

In Das Spiel der Schwalben (2013–present, avant-verlag), Zeina Abirached crafts a deeply personal, black-and-white graphic memoir that captures the quiet resilience of daily life in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War. Through the lens of a single, tense evening when neighbors gather in her family’s hallway to wait out the shelling, Abirached transforms a small, intimate space into a stage for memory, fear, and fragile community. The series, which began with this award-winning debut volume, is celebrated for its meticulous linework and the way it balances the weight of history with the tenderness of childhood observation. It stands as a poignant, essential work in European independent comics, offering a unique perspective on conflict through the eyes of a young girl.