PhD candidate in Public History, Amie Wright, was recently interviewed by Sarah Forrest for the Charlatan. A short excerpt can be found below with the full article, “Q&A: Amie Wright brings librarian and historian background to new comics director role,” available online.
Amie Wright, a history instructor and public history PhD candidate at Carleton University, was recently named the new executive director of the Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF), an annual event promoting “the breadth and diversity of comics.”
Wright has been organizing comics programming in Canada and the U.S. since 2013. She has produced in-person and virtual programming for the American and Ontario Library Associations, TCAF and for Comic Cons in New York and San Diego.
With a background in librarianship and a passion for graphic history, she’s focused on elevating and normalizing comics as a vital genre of historical practice.
The Charlatan spoke with Wright to learn more about her new position and the role of comics in public history.
The Charlatan (TC): What excites you most about your new position?
Amie Wright (AW):One of the things I’m most excited about is the potential for bringing larger attention to comics arts as a very important aspect of Canadian cultural heritage. Importantly for me, TCAF is a unique opportunity for public historians to think about public history in practice, and how arts and culture are such a vibrant part of our cultural landscape.