Reflective essay comic book: Goraein's Little Sketchbook

Opening Little Sketchbook with a complicated heart

Whenever my mind is complicated or I have a lot on my mind, I am someone who finds lessons or strength through reading. The new release I read this time, “Little Sketchbook,” was an essay comic (Instagram-style comic) that portrays the author's life through understated yet lingering writing and calm illustrations. Since there are lots of drawings too, it felt less daunting and I finished it quickly.

Little Sketchbook book information

The author is Sanghyeon, the publisher is Goraein, and it was released on July 10, 2023. You can order it through the Goraein website or various retailers, and the list price is ₩17,000.

“Little Sketchbook” carries the luminous language of received love into a record of reflection. It is a story that led the author to face their whole self again on the road of escape. At a crossroads they may never have known had their head not bowed, Sanghyeon's story gently knocks on the reader's heart from the very first page with a quiet yet profound resonance. It is a slightly special essay comic contained within neat rectangular frames.

Sanghyeon, an author who turned to writing and drawing

Sanghyeon, the author of this book, used to work in architectural design and has now changed careers to write and draw. It seems they began this work because they like sharing their own stories plainly and wanted to create something quiet but resonant. Cheering you on :)

Brunch Book Special Prize history and table of contents

Sanghyeon has a history of receiving a Special Prize at the 10th Brunch Book competition. I did not know what that was, so I just looked it up: Brunch Book refers to a book-publishing project in which writers publishing on the web or on Brunch fully plan, organize the table of contents, and compile their writing into a book. Ten grand-prize winners and 40 Special Prize winners were selected, and it seems Sanghyeon took part and received an award.

The table of contents follows the order of a life, and just looking at the subheadings gave me a rough sense of the book's mood. Now that I have finished it, I think the content in Parts 3 and 4 especially resonated with me.

An essay that brought back memories of the past

It was a worthwhile time because I could look into someone else's life, reflections, and attitude toward living. There were quite a few passages that brought my own past to mind, so I think I read it with even deeper immersion.

Come to think of it, a white-paper doodle pad came with it as a free gift too, so I feel as though I have my own little sketchbook, just like the title 😊