The debut graphic novel from Thai-Italian illustrator Elisa Macellari, Papaya Salad tells the story of her great-uncle Sompong who found himself in Europe on military scholarship on the eve of World War I

A gentle and resolute man in love with books and languages, in search of his place in the world, Sompong chronicles his life during the war and falling for his wife, finding humor and joy even as the world changes irrevocably around him

This Winner of the 2019 Autori di Immagini Silver Medal in the Comics category tells the human story of the War, from a perspective not typically seen.

An historical and emotional journey through my family and my roots that are grown between Europe and Asia. A personal narrative that needs to be shared and hopefully arouses empathy in the reader. – Elisa Macellari