Power of visual storytelling highlighted at SCRF 2025

Expert literary agent Janna Morishima emphasised the power of visual storytelling in turning even reluctant readers into passionate bookworms during her inspiring talk "Graphic Novels for Reading Fluency: Using Visual Storytelling to Build Stronger Readers” at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF).

- 

Morishimo, who started her career at Scholastic and co-founded the Graphix Imprint, noted: “Graphic novels give your brain an information processing capacity.

The brain comprehends images in two primary ways - meaning and narrative structure. While the left part of the brain is more analytical, the right brain controls creativity, art and imagination,” she elaborated on the human fascination for visual imagery.

Graphic novels also build attention and reading stamina, the Japanese-American agent emphasised, noting that in the age of social media, information overload, multitasking and lack of mental rest have negatively impacted human ability for sustained attention.