Hamlyn-Harris Leonard’s gambit    

TEXT Special Issue 30: Creative Writing as Research IV, October 2015 1 eds Nigel Krauth, Donna Lee Brien, Ross Watkins, Anthony Lawrence, Dallas Baker and Moya Costello

University of the Sunshine Coast

Thomas Hamlyn-Harris

Leonard’s gambit

Biographical note:

Thomas Hamlyn-Harris is a Queensland-based illustrator and writer currently studying Creative Writing at the University of the Sunshine Coast. His published works include educational games, puzzles and activities, children’s songs and pop-up books.

Keywords:

Creative writing – multimodality – hybrid text – graphic novel – illustration

   

Hamlyn-Harris Leonard’s gambit    

TEXT Special Issue 30: Creative Writing as Research IV, October 2015 2 eds Nigel Krauth, Donna Lee Brien, Ross Watkins, Anthony Lawrence, Dallas Baker and Moya Costello

 

     

 

Hamlyn-Harris Leonard’s gambit    

TEXT Special Issue 30: Creative Writing as Research IV, October 2015 3 eds Nigel Krauth, Donna Lee Brien, Ross Watkins, Anthony Lawrence, Dallas Baker and Moya Costello

     

   

Hamlyn-Harris Leonard’s gambit    

TEXT Special Issue 30: Creative Writing as Research IV, October 2015 4 eds Nigel Krauth, Donna Lee Brien, Ross Watkins, Anthony Lawrence, Dallas Baker and Moya Costello

     

     

Hamlyn-Harris Leonard’s gambit    

TEXT Special Issue 30: Creative Writing as Research IV, October 2015 5 eds Nigel Krauth, Donna Lee Brien, Ross Watkins, Anthony Lawrence, Dallas Baker and Moya Costello

           

Hamlyn-Harris Leonard’s gambit    

TEXT Special Issue 30: Creative Writing as Research IV, October 2015 6 eds Nigel Krauth, Donna Lee Brien, Ross Watkins, Anthony Lawrence, Dallas Baker and Moya Costello

Research statement  

Research background

Many contemporary authors and illustrators recognise that the interplay of modes – text, image, typography, design and other semiotic resources – can be manipulated into a hybrid style of narrative that is more than the sum of its parts. This hybrid approach undermines the view of text as the primary conveyer of meaning, and rather than coexisting, modes interact to breed an entirely new creature (Sadokierski 2010).

Research contribution

Even in picture books, words have historically had the upper hand and images were generally expected to behave themselves: to represent or illustrate the meaning of the text. This research aims to embody ‘the creative conflict between words and images’ (Crew 2015) and reflect a cultural shift towards multimodal communication and literacy.

Research significance

Books are more than the storage mechanism and organising principle for a collection of words and images. Books scaffold meaning in unique ways and their physical appearance – paper stock, font, colour, graphic elements and so on – contributes to the reader’s experience and emotional connection to books as objects. Foregrounding the material construction of the book (Schiff 1998) (which is difficult to convey in its current digital format) reveals how sensory properties can act as modes, contributing to meaning rather than just the experience of reading. This work has been selected for publication in a quality peer-refereed journal of creative writing. Works cited Crew, G 2015 Personal communication, July

Sadokierski, Z 2010 ‘Visual writing: a critique of graphic devices in hybrid novels, from a visual communication design perspective’, PhD diss., University of Technology Sydney

Schiff, KL 1998 ‘The look of the book: visual elements in the experience of reading from Tristram Shandy to contemporary artists’ books’, PhD diss., University of Pennsylvania