Sarah Lightman

Biography

Dr. Sarah Lightman is an artist and writer. She attended The Slade School of Art for her BA and MFA, winning The Slade Prize, The William Coldstream Award, and The Slade Life Drawing Prize. She earned a PhD from the University of Glasgow in women’s autobiographical comics, and was an Honorary Research Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London (2018–2021). Her first book, "Graphic Details: Jewish Women's Confessional Comics" (McFarland 2014), was awarded The Koppelman Prize (2015) and The Will Eisner Award (2015), and received a Schnitzer Award nomination (2016). Her graphic novel, "The Book of Sarah" (Myriad and PSUP 2019), was shortlisted for a British Book Design & Production Award (2019) and The Communication Arts Award (2020). Her most recent book, the co-edited collection "Jewish Women in Comics: Bodies and Borders" (SUP 2023), was awarded The South Atlantic Modern Language Award (2024) and nominated for The Broken Frontier Best Book on Comics (2023). Solo shows include Storyhouse Chester (2025), The Knapp Gallery (2020), Koppel Soho (2019), Occupy My Time Gallery (2013), and The New Hall Art Collection (2010). In 2009 she co-founded LDComics (formerly Laydeez do Comics), the largest women-led comics forum in the UK.