Taxi Posted in: biography, True story

Stories from the Back Seat by Aimée de Jongh

The conversations aren’t always easy to get off the ground and sometimes take surprising turns, but in the confidential atmosphere of a taxi, the driver and passenger discuss topics of life and death, family, friends, and how to carry on after a traumatic event. Yet, the tone of the book is not heavy: the reader is whisked away by the speed, humour and the artist’s keen sense of observation.

Not only does Aimée de Jongh depict different cultures and people, but she also captures landscapes and ecological problems, such as traffic jams, climate change and overcrowded cities. Subtly, she touches on social and political issues, like the terrorist attacks in Paris, traffic accidents, Uber, and the fact that talking to each other has become something unusual but no less desirable. With Taxi!, the author reminds us that we are all connected and just a taxi ride away.

Aimée de Jongh

Is a Dutch graphic novel author, animator, and illustrator. After creating comics for a daily newspaper for nearly five years, she left in 2017 to make graphic novels full time. Her debut, The Return of the Honey Buzzard, won the Prix St Michel and was adapted to a live-action film. Her second book, Blossoms in Autumn, written by the acclaimed Belgian writer Zidrou, was awarded the Prix Atomium. She works and lives in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.