‘Visualizing Survivors’ Voices’: On the Power of Graphic Novels to Share Personal Narratives of Mass Violence
Guest blog feature by Elissa Boghosian
On Wednesday, June 18, the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies hosted a public event at Spui25 in Amsterdam: “Visualizing Survivors’ Voices.” The event featured contributions from Dr. Charlotte Schallié and Dr. Andrea Webb, Co-Directors of the Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives (SCVN) project; graphic artist Tobi Dahmen; survivor of the Assad regime and the narrator of Dahmen’s forthcoming graphic novel, Akram Al Saud; and NIOD historians Dr. Kees Ribbens and Dr. Uğur Ümit Üngör. The event served as a prelude to the SCVN project’s two-day Annual General Meeting in Amsterdam.
At the heart of the public event was the question: How can graphic novels strengthen historical understanding of mass violence survivors’ experiences?
On the Trajectories of Graphic Novels
Kees opened the event with an overview of the evolving uses and public perceptions of graphic novels. He observed that, historically, “there has not always been a recognition of the power of comics”. However, from the late 20th century onward, there has been growing recognition of the medium’s capacity to convey the experiences of survivors of mass violence and human rights violations. Today, Kees offered, we are still realizing the potentials of graphic novels:
“In 2025, we are still discovering what serious graphic novels can express. We are still finding out how they open up new ways of historical understanding. We are still trying to figure out what interpretations, connections, and identifications readers derive from engaging with graphic novels, and also, we are trying to figure out where the limits of the medium’s possibilities actually lie.”
Kees Ribbens introduces the public panel event. Photo credit: Jennifer Sauter.
Public Reading: Al-Fazia – The Horror: Surviving Assad’s Prisons
Following the introduction, Akram and Tobi read from their forthcoming graphic novel Al-Fazia – The Horror: Surviving Assad’s Prisons. This reading marked the first time in the project’s history in which a survivor participated in a live reading, and it was the first such time for Akram as well. The moving presentation provided the audience with a glimpse into the manuscript that details Akram’s survival of Assad regime violence and the thoughtful collaboration between Akram and Tobi behind its visual retelling.
From the top left: Akram Al Saud and Tobi Dahmen read an excerpt from the graphic novel, Tobi sharing process sketches, panelists from left to right Charlotte Schallié, Tobi Dahmen, Akram al-Saud, Uğur Üngör, and Andrea Webb. Photo credit: Jennifer Sauter.
Deepening the Dialogue
The reading set the stage for a group discussion between Charlotte, Andrea, Uğur, Akram, and Tobi. The conversation initially focused on the relationship between Akram and Tobi in the graphic novel co-creation process. They reflected on questions such as: What does it mean for an artist and survivor to work together over an extended period of time? How did their creative partnership unfold? Why did Akram decide to share his story? And how did Tobi navigate artistic choices about depicting mass violence?
“What I appreciated in Tobi…[was] that he didn’t stand a distance from my story. No. He was trying most of the time to come closer, trying to, let’s say, collect the fragments.” – Akram
“I tried to get closer to the situation but always be aware that I could never totally depict an experience like that.” – Tobi
“It was a very caring process.” – Akram
Tobi Dahmen and Akram Al Saud in conversation on panel. Photo credit: Jennifer Sauter.
The second half of the conversation shifted to broader questions about the capacities and potentials of graphic novels about mass violence: How can a graphic novel hold the weight of genocide and mass violence? How can the medium be used to depict survivors’ experiences with care and complexity? And how can graphic novels serve as educational resources? Uğur spoke about the power of graphic novels to break through layers of silences surrounding mass violence. In the Syrian context, he identified three interconnected silences this graphic novel helped confront: 1) National silences enforced by over 50 years of violent authoritarian rule under the Assad regime; 2) Secrecy surrounding the prison system in particular; and 3) Personal silences, as few Syrians – inside or outside the country – had been invited to share their stories in such a public way.
Andrea described how graphic novels can activate student engagement with testimonies:
“When we talk to youth and in education, individual stories are powerful. We need to see the scale, but we also need to connect and give meaning for youth, and also prepare for a post-survivor world, so these testimonies are not lost.”
The discussion concluded with reflections on medium’s potential to elevate voices from the recent past that have often been left out of public discourse, offering meaningful and lasting contributions to education, memory, and, perhaps, justice. Following the formal ‘Question and Answer’, audience members continued to engage with the presenters and ask them questions during the event’s reception.
More information about the event is on the Spui25 webpage: Visualizing Survivors’ Voices – SPUI25, and the full recording is available to view below: