WWAC is proud to present an exclusive excerpt of the historical graphic novel The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women’s Suffrage, and Jujitsu, which recounts the little-known true story of 20th century suffragists who fought for their rights by mastering martial arts:
In the early 20th century, women in England were demanding the right to vote—and often faced violent retaliation. Rather than back down, the suffragist group the Women’s Social and Political Union formed an all-women security unit. Activist leader Emmeline Pankhurst asked Edith Garrud, a pioneering instructor of women’s self-defense and a pivotal figure in British women’s suffrage, to train them. These “jujitsuffragettes” fought against abuse and arrest while pursuing long overdue rights, and this graphic retelling of Garrud’s life reveals the resilience and (sometimes physical) resistance of her era’s voting-rights activists.
Published by Graphic Universe on August 1, 2023, The Bodyguard Unit is a bold new graphic novel by writer Clement Xavier and artist Lisa Lugrin, who jointly received the prestigious Prix Révélation (Debut Prize) at the Angoulême International Comics Festival for their first French-language graphic novel, Yékini, le roi des arènes.
This exclusive six-page excerpt follows Edith Garrud as she and her fellow suffragists are caught in a violent clash with police officers and a misogynist mob.
The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women’s Suffrage, and Jujitsu is now available in stores.
