Still Alive by Safdar Ahmed

Still Alive is a graphic novel that documents the stories of a number of people Safdar Ahmed
met while running art classes in an immigration detention centre in Villawood, Sydney. These
stories are told within the broader context of Australia’s immigration detention systems.
Those seeking asylum in Australia due to war, strife and violence in their home countries face
extraordinary challenges both during their journey and upon arrival. Ahmed’s book focuses on
people who arrive in Australia by boat. For these people, a long, perilous journey ends with the
often equally perilous obstacles they face when dealing with Australia’s legal processes, with
the privations of onshore and offshore detention centres, and with inadequate health and
psychological support.
In addition to documenting the stories of those seeking asylum, Still Alive also includes the
author’s own self-reflective thoughts on the ethics of telling other people’s stories, the
aesthetics of comics and heavy metal, and the way art can be used for catharsis, healing and
redemption after trauma.
Still Alive interweaves journalism, history and autobiography with a striking visual style to bring
to light the crucial untold stories of refugees in Australia, and the immigration detention
systems they confront here.

Still Alive is a graphic novel that documents the stories of a number of people Safdar Ahmed met while running art classes in an immigration detention centre in Villawood, Sydney. These stories are told within the broader context of Australia’s immigration detention systems.

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01 Apr 2022
 

Still Alive: Notes from Australia’s Immigration Detention System by Safdar Ahmed ISBN 9780980593730