Out in the Open

After suffering violence and betrayal at home, a young boy flees into an uncompromising landscape ravaged by drought. Without food or water, exposed to the heat of the sun and the violence of his pursuers, the boy sets out across the Spanish plains.

An encounter with an elderly goatherd offers hope of survival. The old man can help him stay ahead of the dangers that lie outside—but he can’t fix the internal drama that plays out in the boy’s mind. Nightmares are a constant reminder of a traumatic past and an unstable present.

Based on the award-winning novel by Jesús Carrasco, Javi Rey’s Out in the Open is a cinematic graphic novel about escaping abuse and finding humanity in a world torn apart by the violence of men.

Javi Rey is a Belgian comics artist based in Barcelona. His books include Adelante (with Frank Giroud) and Un maillot pour l'Algérie.

Jesús Carrasco is a Spanish novelist based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is the winner of numerous awards, including the European Union Prize for Literature 2016 and an English PEN award.