The Killing of Books

The Killing of Books with Ryan Estrada, Kim Hyun Sook, and Sarah Winifred Searle

State Library of WA - Theatre (Ground Floor)
11:00am - 12:00pm

Welcome to 2026, where words and books are treated as more dangerous than guns and bombs. Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada know this better than most. Their award winning (and banned in multiple states across the USA) graphic novel, Banned Book Club tells the true story of Kim's experience at college in South Korea when she was part of a secret literary club that read books that had been banned by the state government. Kim and Ryan will join award winning author Sarah Winifred Searle to discuss the power of graphic novels and the threat they pose to repressive regimes.

Featuring: Ryan Estrada

Ryan Estrada is an Eisner and Ringo-nominated, Freeman Award-winning author/artist/adventurer who has been traveling the world making comics ever since his high school ambassadorship to Australia inspired his Student Ambassador series. His other books include Banned Book Club, Good Old Fashioned Korean Spirit, Occulted, and Learn to Read Korean in 15 Minutes. He’s made comics for Garfield, Star Trek, Popeye, and Flash Gordon.

Featuring: Kim Hyun Sook

Kim Hyun Sook never planned on becoming an author, but one day, while hiking with her cartoonist husband Ryan, she casually mentioned her experiences smuggling illegal books under the nose of a dictator. Years of storytelling, research, and interviews later, she is the award-winning co-author of Banned Book Club and its sequels, No Rules Tonight and Good Old Fashioned Korean Spirit. Now everyone knows all of her secrets.

Featuring: Sarah Winifred Searle

Sarah Winifred Searle originally hails from spooky New England, USA and now lives in sunny Perth, Australia. They write and draw comics and prose, exploring themes of identity, health, relationships, and history across many genres.THE GREATEST THING, their YA graphic novel, is a Lammy Award and CBCA Book of the Year finalist, and a Prime Minister’s Literary Award winner.

Please note that this event is an educational talk and may not be suitable for young audiences. This event is part of the annual Perth Comic Arts Festival, a completely free to attend, volunteer run celebration of comics, their creators and readers.