This June, Ashford illustrator and graphic designer Florian Grosset published her debut graphic novel The Chagos Betrayal: How Britain Robbed an Island and Made Its People Disappear.
CommunityAd caught up with Florian Grosset to find out more about her first book…
What are your earliest memories of writing and when did you realise you had the skill to be a graphic novelist?
I’ve never thought of myself as a writer, and until recently I didn’t see myself as a graphic novelist either, but when I wanted to tell the story of the Chagos Islands I realised my work as an illustrator wasn’t enough and it needed a combination of words and pictures to do them justice.
To our readers who may not know, can you give a description of what your debut graphic novel is all about?
My graphic novel is an account of poverty and discrimination suffered by the Chagos Islanders upon their eviction by the British-enforced US military control of their Indian Ocean home.
During the Cold War, the US government sought to establish an overseas military presence in the Indian Ocean. This book lays out the British complicity in the forced exodus of the Chagos Islanders from their homeland to make that plan possible.
Between 1965 and 1973 the inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago were forcibly removed from their homeland and dumped in Mauritius and Seychelles. Diego Garcia, the largest island in the group, was leased to the USA by the United Kingdom to accommodate the largest US military air base outside the US mainland. The agreement continues until 2036.
I have tried, to the best of my ability, to give a searing account of the eviction, and the harsh life faced by the Chagossians after their displacement. The book looks back to the first generation of slaves who arrived on the archipelago and the lives of their descendants. It charts the present-day diaspora of Chagossians, their fight for the right to return through protests and court cases, and the different strategies still being used to keep them away from their land. Although, in 2016, the British government denied the right of the Chagossians to return to the islands, the islanders continue to fight for the right to return, many of them now to a homeland they never knew.
In February 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled that the UK decolonisation process of the Chagos Islands was unlawful, and that the UK should end its control of the Indian Ocean archipelago, which includes a US military base.
How much of the novel is linked to your own real-life experiences?
I grew up in Mauritius where I have seen the slums and impoverished life that the displaced population was forced into. Some illustrations are directly linked to my memories. I was just a child and did not grasp the extent of the damage done to the Chagossians. Further research on the subject has helped me realise that it was really a crime against humanity and I hope I’ve been able to transfer this into my drawings.
Have you been surprised at how much support your debut novel received?
Very surprised. Myriad Editions sent the final draft to selected people in their contact list and it seems to me that this story is so compelling that it got the endorsements of great supporters of human rights such as John Pilger, Benjamin Zephaniah, Henny Beaumont, Kate Evans… I’m happy that my humble work can contribute to highlighting the injustice caused to the people of the Chagos archipelago.
Can you explain the difficulties of getting your own novel published and how rewarding it is seeing your book in stores and online?
I’ve been pretty lucky actually. The cartoonist Woodrow Phoenix, who was my tutor on the MA course, presented my final project to Myriad Editions. He didn’t tell me so I didn’t get my hopes high but Corinne Pearlman, the editor, liked the initial draft. Thank you Woodrow! Thank you Myriad!
Myriad and I started to work together by the end of 2019. Obviously, I’m delighted to see the ‘baby’ out there, available to a large audience and getting attention. It’s the fruit of lots of work; so many sleepless nights and a fair amount of passion.
If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what book would you choose and why?
That’s a tough one. There are so many good books… Maybe ‘Sapiens, A Brief History of Humankind’ by Yuval Noah Harari. Because it helps to put everything in perspective: why we do things in a certain way. If we understand where we come from, our own history, we are less inclined to judge and harm others. Such literature helps us to see that we are all the same, just human beings.
Do you have a 5-10-year vision of where you would like to be with your work and is there a new book in the pipeline?
Life is so unpredictable. Personal experiences (as well as the pandemic) have taught me not to make big plans but to have a plan B, to enjoy the present moment and always do the best we can.
I’d like to stay on the same path, that is helping to underline issues in a creative way. Yes, some projects in the pipeline, but they are at baby steps for now, so not worth mentioning. However, watch this space.
Away from writing, what are your hobbies and interests and what do you enjoy most about living in Ashford?
I take commissioned work for portraits, especially portraits of pets. I love animals. I love food too. I’m a vegetarian and I enjoy cooking.
What I love about Ashford is that I can see some horses on my way to work. Also, we have quick access to the surrounding woods where we can enjoy long walks in nature. And if I want to feel the London buzz I can get there in only 45 minutes!