Richard is happy with his girlfriend creations – if only real life wouldn’t keep getting in the way. Set in an English suburb in the early 1990s, The Black Project is the story of Richard’s all-consuming passion for creating ‘girls’ from household objects. But as his hobby begins to flourish, his real life friendships and family relationships deteriorate.

This darkly funny story of obsession – beautifully crafted in embroidery and lino-cut – was chosen by judges including Ian Rankin, Bryan Talbot and Hannah Berry as winner of the inaugural First Fictions’ First Graphic Novel Competition.