Miriam Gold's debut, Elena- A Hand Made Life, was Graphic Novel of the Month in the Observer in August 2024, one of the Guardian and the Observer Best Books of the Year and shortlisted for the Wingate Prize. Miriam has completed international residencies and been commissioned by the V&A and the Barbican. She was selected for the Emerging Writer Programme at the London Library. She holds an MA in Fine Art from Central St Martins and a BA in history and politics from the University of Liverpool. She teaches art and photography in London, where she lives with her family.
'It brings with it an unfathomable power and richness… a visual and a nostalgic treat… [and] a quietly political book' * Observer, *Graphic Novel of the Month* * The deeply affecting life of Miriam Gold’s grandmother has found its most radiant storyteller. Tender, funny and triumphant, the exquisite depiction of these personal memories deserves the widest readership -- Simon Garfield, author of All the Knowledge in the World The story of one extraordinary ordinary woman wrapped up in the change and chaos of the twentieth century, told with great care, kindness and no small amount of playfulness. Each page of this book contains treasures. -- Lizzy Stewart, author of Alison I read this rare gem in one sitting, captivated by a heroine whose inspiring life and handiwork could have been lost to history were it not for a granddaughter with a very different life, and very different work to do, but performed with hands no less loving, painstaking, restorative. A beautiful evocation of the enigma of transmission, transformation and survival. -- Devorah Baum, author of On Marriage A warm, perceptive tribute to Miriam Gold’s doughty Jewish grandmother, whose grit and knitting needles carried her through displacement, war, tragedy and hardship. -- Posy Simmonds The dark shadow of the Holocaust experience lies across the beauty and determination of Elena Zadik’s experience. But, rather than force it onto the reader’s conscience or consciousness, it slowly seeps in as the story develops. It is a wonderful book, telling a remarkable story, beautifully produced and hauntingly memorable. -- Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds