EXILE AND BEYOND
At first sight, this story of gazes, community, and fragments told by Gaspard Njock and Félicien de Heusch in Exile and Beyond is part of a sub-genre that has become established in graphic novels, with texts sometimes described as comics reportage, sometimes as graphic novels about migration and refugees. Since the sad news of the so-called ‘migration crisis’ in Europe,
this production has multiplied and strongly gained in visibility.
Documentary and testimonial, these works often set out clear plots and have a serious tone. They are generally highly referential, and even come with a critical apparatus: socio-historical explanations, maps, tables, escort speeches and other appendices. Some of these elements are also to be found in Exile and Beyond, which gives the reader a chance to witness bits and pieces of migrants’ journeys, their fragility and resilience, but also the contexts in which they live, which mark and determine them. Of course, the photographer and the ethologist are particularly emblematic of the testimonial dimension of the text. It should also be emphasised that this little book bringing together a researcher and a graphic artist in its creation, achieves another innovative phenomenon in the medium, namely cooperation between science and art, between ethnography and aesthetics, between fact and imagination. It is the kind of collaboration fostered by the ‘Thanatic Ethics’ network that brought us together with Félicien and Gaspard. ‘Thanatic Ethics: The Circulation of Bodies in Migratory Spaces’, brings together scholars in postcolonial literature and culture, social scientists and artists working with a range of media, to explore questions related to death in migration. [...]
In the end, if this is a story about fragility, pain, and protest; about people in the shadows, their precarious past, present and future, there is the beyond: this beyond of exile as in the book’s title.
Extract of the preface, by Markus Arnold and Bidisha Banerjee
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Authors: Félicien de Heusch et Gaspard Njock
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Date of publication: 2024
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ISBN: 2958070038
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Available in French and English; Italian version forthcoming.
THE CHARACTERS
In the anonymous tumult of Paris, a photographer crosses the silent path of a young Cameroonian migrant. A photo session, an exchange of glances, a first name: Beauregard. Then, nothing more. Until Joseph learned of his death. What was only a moment becomes a quest: to find the trace, to recount the absence, to pay homage. Through this intimate investigation, Joseph discovers what exile hides: a memory to rebuild, a body to return, a dignity to return. Their fleeting encounter turns everything upside down.
Félix is an ethnographer; Aliou is a Senegalese merchant and a devout Mouride. Their paths cross in Touba, Senegal—a holy city where the dead are laid to rest through rites steeped in fervor and brotherhood. Through his research on death in the context of migration, Félix discovers—alongside Aliou—a different approach to mourning: a collective farewell filled with prayers, songs, and acts of giving. Their exchanges foster a dialogue between scientific knowledge and spiritual wisdom. Together, they reflect on the question: what does it mean to “return home” when one has died far from loved ones?
HISTORY OF THE PROJECT
Exile and Beyond is now considered a flagship project for Sofia Comics.
It is the first work to fully realize the publishing house’s initial ambitions: combining academic rigor, artistic power, and human resonance in the field. The book stands at the intersection of art and research while also serving as a tool for dialogue; the team returns to the field, engages with associations, and gathers feedback from the people whose stories are being told.
Its international reach makes it an inspiring prototype for future projects. Translated into several languages, the book marks a foundational milestone for Sofia Comics and paves the way for a new approach to conceiving and sharing knowledge.
The project received financial support – specifically for the production of the French and English versions – from the Department of Literature and Cultural Studies (University of Hong Kong) and the Department of Anglophone Studies (EMMA) at Paul-Valéry University Montpellier.
To further broaden the project's reach and share it with the widest possible audience in a spirit of solidarity, we enlisted the services of the translation association L.U.K. Junior Conseil. EMMA students apply their linguistic skills to cultural projects, highlighting the beauty of the perfect word, the precision of meaning, and the ethics of interpretation. Several students became enthusiastic about Exile and Beyond while completing their internships at L.U.K.
The project quickly gained momentum, transcending borders and disciplines, and received support from the Thanatic Ethics network. It was within this network that reflections on death in the context of migration found a graphic and narrative resonance — transforming research into a poignant story and a drawn memorial.
Thanatic Ethics (TE) is an inter- and transdisciplinary research project supported by an international network that examines issues surrounding death in the context of migration. The network investigates how societies treat deceased migrants — who are often invisible and forgotten. By combining social sciences, the arts, and ethical engagement, TE strives to restore a voice, a memory, and dignity to those whom borders have silenced.
It all began in Liège in 2021. Félicien de Heusch, a young socio-anthropologist, was presenting his research on death among Senegalese migrants in Europe. In the audience, Gaspard Njock – an artist and comic book creator – listened intently. He didn’t just hear words; he saw images, faces, and scenes. After the presentation, he approached Félicien: "As you spoke, I could see drawings taking shape."
From that spark, an unexpected project was born. Two perspectives, two professions, two sensibilities – yet a shared desire to tell a story in a new way. Together, they envisioned a graphic novel that would blend investigative work, memory, and creative storytelling.