THE GRAPHIC NOVEL

Forged by Fire: An Illustrated History of Burns in the 20th Century tells the stories of eight incidents which changed modern Britain: how the emergency services respond to fires, how governments can try to prevent them, and how we can come together to help one another.

Seven of the graphic novel stories were created by artist Sarah Taylor Silverwood based on research conducted by the Forged by Fire team. Stories include fires at Queen Victoria Street, London (1902), Watson Street, Glasgow (1905), and the Empire Palace Theatre, Edinburgh (1911); the story of the RAF pilots who became known as the Guinea Pig Club (1940s); the stories of Pauline (1954) and Caroline (1988); and the bombing of the La Mon restaurant in Co. Down (1978).

Three more stories were created by students at Beckfoot Thornton School in Bradford, based on the history of the 1985 Bradford City Stadium Fire. They were created in workshops with Leeds-based artist Tom Bailey and Bradford-based teacher Rachel Wood.

The stories depict events in which people were seriously injured, however they do not show unnecessary detail in their depictions.

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You can read Forged by Fire: An Illustrated History of Burns in the 20th Century below, download a digital copy, or write to Professor Shane Ewen to request physical copies.