Rotem (or Ro) is an artist and a librarian raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Their artwork is inspired by fairy tales and folklore, monsters, and themes of identity, and their work is often personal, conveying memories and feelings.
Please contact them for freelance inquiries, proposals and collaboration projects!
Instagram: @rotemannadiamant
Studies
2015- 2017 Master’s degree, Library and Information Science, The University of Toronto
2011 – 2014 Bachelor of Arts, English Honours, The University of Winnipeg
Work
March 2023 – Present – Artist
I am currently working on a graphic novel exploration of Jewish identity and mythologies, through a lens of queerness and experiences of illness, with support from The Canada Council for the Arts.
January 2022 – April 2023 – Librarian, Courthouse Libraries BC
Courthouse Libraries BC is a non-profit that provides legal information services to both the legal community and the public in British Columbia.
September 2021 – February 2022 – Library Technician, Camosun College
March 2018 – present – Founder (2018), President (2018-2022, and interim), Project Administrator (2019-2023), and Librarian at Canada Comics Open Library.
I began working on CCOL in 2017, and in my role I have been in charge of: building our comics collection, forming our board, daily library operations, website content, web design and online resources, social media, development of our cataloguing approach, administrative duties, grant applications, donations, public communication and outreach, recruiting and training volunteers, creating procedures guides, steering the organization, events and programs, fundraising, project planning, artistic direction. To view more details about these roles visit my LinkedIn page.
November 2017 – present – Freelance Writing and Library Projects
September 2016 – September 2017 – Student Library Assistant at Media Commons, University of Toronto
September 2016 – September 2017 – Student Library Assistant at Eberhard Zeidler Library of Architecture, Landscape, and Design
March 2016 – December 2016 – Interim Librarian and Graduate Student Library Assistant at Innis College Library
Volunteer
February 2018 – present – Canada Comics Open Library
February 2018 – present – Created and maintain The Canadian Cartoonists Database
October 2017 – September 2019 – Zine Librarian and special projects at The Toronto Zine Library
June 2016 – August 2016 – Practicum, Cataloguing and Data Analysis at Toronto Tool Library
October 2015 – May 2017 – Treasurer, Librarians Without Borders, University of Toronto Student Chapter
2012 – 2013 – Studio Workshop Volunteer at Art City, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Professional Service
Juries and Selection Committee
2021 – Canada Comics Open Library, Comics Creator Residencies
2021 – Canada Comics Open Library, The Open Workshop for Comics Creators
2020 – Canada Comics Open Library, Comics Out Loud
2019 – Canada Comics Open Library, Comics Creator Residencies
2019 – Doug Wright Awards Judge
Collective Exhibition
September, 2012 – Graffiti Gallery’s Artist Mash Up at the Forks for Culture Days 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Live collaborative painting to create public artwork with a group of eight other artists.
June, 2009 – Pair Down and Buckle Up, a group show which explored women’s experiences during recessions, at Graffiti Gallery, 109 Higgins Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Art Fairs/ Markets
2022 – The Toronto Comic Arts Festival – Comics exhibitor – Online exhibitor
2021 – Virtual Canzine – Online Festival of Zines & Independent Print Culture – Online vendor
2021 – Art Gallery of Greater Victoria – Celebration of Art – Artist Guide
2021 – James Bay Community Market, Victoria – Tabled with clay sculptures
2019 – The Toronto Comic Arts Festival – Zineland Terrace, Toronto – Tabled with zines and drawings
2018 – Canzine – Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto – Tabled with zines
2018 – Made by Feminists – Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, Toronto – Tabled with paintings, illustrations, zines, and handmade goods – Toronto
2018 – Framed by Feminists – Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, Toronto – Tabled with paintings, illustrations, zines, and handmade goods
Publications
2022 – “Hope and Comics”- Pasts, Presents, and Futures of Canadian Comics Spec. issue of Canadian Literature 249 (2022): 123-124.
2021 – “The founder of Canada Comics Open Library highlights four artists to watch”, Quill and Quire May issue
2019 – present – Canada Comics Open Library, volunteer blog author , admin writer, and editor
2018- present – Toronto Zine Library, volunteer blog author
2019 – “Gaters”, Call Out Comics 4
2016 – “Drawing Identity: Examining Graphic Autobiographies and Diaries as Subversive Archives for Surveillance and Construction of Identity”, the iJournal, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto
2014 – Cover art and drawings published in Juice 14, University of Winnipeg Creative Writing Journal
Zines
2022 – Cute Nose #2, debuted at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival in June, 2022
2021 – Cute Nose #1, also available here! This review meant a lot to me:
“Truly brilliant mini comic making by Diamant, the work here feels like the ultra aesthetic approach to comics as a stage where anything can happen that you might see in early newspaper strips…but all of that is filtered through inky classic zine making aesthetics. The minute I saw these, I knew they needed to be in the Domino store, beautiful stuff.” – Domino Books
Cute Nose issue 1 was also reviewed thoughtfully in Broken Pencil Magazine; web version available to read over here: https://brokenpencil.com/reviews/cute-nose-1/
2019 – Named After Flowers
2018 – tumble gently, tumble home
2018 – Toronto Renting Adventures
2017 – Shop Girl
2017- Good Witch art zine
2009 – The Alphabet of Wicked Women
Please visit my online store to view recent projects.
Public Engagement
Conference Presentations
2021 – “Contemporary Small Presses and the Canada Comics Open Library” Pre-recorded session presentation, 80 Years and Beyond: A Virtual Symposium on Canadian Comics, hosted by the Society for the Promotion of Canadian Comics and Brescia University College – Zoom
2020 – “Building a Community Comics Library” Session presentation, OLA Super Conference – Dream Here – Metro Toronto Convention Centre
2019 – “Comics and Cartoonists in the Library” Paper presentation “Reading the Shelves: The Politics of Creating a Diverse Comics Library”, 2nd Annual Conference of the Comics Studies Society – COMICS/POLITICS – Ryerson University
2016 – “Drawing Identity: Examining Graphic Autobiographies and Diaries as Subversive Archives for Surveillance and Construction of Identity and Promoting Graphic Life Narratives in the Library” Paper presentation, presented on the panel “Recontextualization and Subversion in Children’s Literature”, Many Worlds to Walk In: Exploring Diversity in Children’s Literature, Librarianship, and Education – University of British Columbia
2016 – “Women Drawing Identity: Graphic Autobiographies, Surveillance, and Power” Paper presentation, presented on the panel “Representing others”, Defying Conventions: Innovative Perspectives in the Information Field – iSchool Student Conference – University of Toronto
Events
2021 – Mini Comics Readings, Toronto Comic Arts Festival affiliate event hosted by Canada Comics Open Library, Zoom Webinar
2020 – 2021 – Comics Out Loud events, Canada Comics Open Library, Zoom Webinar
2019 – 2020 – Creators in Residence library events, Canada Comics Open Library
2018 – Canada Comics Open Library launch event, The519, pop-up library, panel, and workshops
Panels
2021 – “Canadian Comics Today”Panel, 80 Years and Beyond: A Virtual Symposium on Canadian Comics, hosted by the Society for the Promotion of Canadian Comics and Brescia University College – Zoom event
2020 – “Banned through Comics Metadata!?” Panel, Banned Books Week, American Library Association – Zoom Webinar
2019 – “Panel Discussion with the Canada Comics Open Library & iJournal” Panel, Information & Museum Studies Conference – Community Knowledge: Shared Practices of Sense-Making, Communication, & Collaboration – University of Toronto
Guest Lecturing and Public Presentations
2019 – “The Canada Comics Open Library: Building a Community Space Dedicated to Comics Accessibility” for the course Graphic Novels and Comic Books in the Library – Guest lecture at the Faculty of Information – University of Toronto
2019 – Various library tours and presentations, including ARLIS-ON Fall Meeting – Canada Comics Open Library
Workshops
2018 – Facilitated Zine Workshops for TPL Teens Young Voices with Toronto Zine Library – Toronto Reference Library
2018 – Facilitated Zine Making Workshop for Youth at Maker Festival with Toronto Zine Library – Toronto Reference Library
Awards and Fundraising
Personal
2023 – The Canada Council for the Arts – Explore and Create – Research and Creation grant
Canada Comics Open Library
2020 – Toronto Arts Council Literary Projects – Canada Comics Open Library – Comics Creator Residencies – $6000 grant
2020 – Ontario Arts Council Literary Organizations Projects – Canada Comics Open Library – $8000 grant
2020 – Ontario Arts Council Arts Presenters Projects – Canada Comics Open Library – $6000 grant
2019 – Toronto Arts Council Literary Projects – Canada Comics Open Library – Comics Creator Residencies – $7000 grant
2019 – Indiegogo crowdfunding – Canada Comics Open Library – $5,643
2018 – Indiegogo crowdfunding – raised for Canada Comics Open Library – $3,633
2018 – present – Other fundraising projects – Canada Comics Open Library – $668
Total amount awarded and raised for Canada Comics Open Library = 36,944
Media
Broken Pencil Magazine, Issue 94, published April 28th, 2022. “Cute Nose #1” by Pip Bradford.
American Library Association, panel (YouTube), published October 2nd, 2020. “Banned Through Comics Metadata!?”
Wednesday Night Reviews, interview (YouTube), published March 15, 2020. “Talking Shop #4 – Rotem & The Canada Comics Open Library“. Interviews collected here on Sequential Magazine’s website.
North West Territories Library Association, Snowshoe newsletter “Meet Rotem Diamant”
The Canada Comics Open Library
Women Write About Comics, September 27th, 2019. “The Canadian Comics Open Library Is Shaping Our Shelves” by Wendy Browne
Centre for Social Innovation, May 30th, 2019. “A Comic Library Comes to CSI!” by Audra Williams
Quill and Quire, May 9th, 2019 (May issue). “Canadian Comics Open Library calls for a new order in how graphica is catalogued” by Ryan Porter
TVO, May 3rd, 2019. “How a new Toronto library is trying to change the way we see comic books” by Chantal Braganza
TVO, Ontario Hubs, mini documentary, aired May 2nd, 2019 on The Agenda with Steve Paikin. “Changing the Way We Look at Comics: Ontario Hubs field producer Jeyan Jeganathan visits the Canada Comics Open Library in Toronto.”
Radio Free Krypton, podcast interview, April 4th, 2019. “How Toronto got a new library just for comics”
CBC Arts, January 29th, 2019. “Comic books and graphic novels haven’t gotten the library love they deserve — until now” by Laura Kenins
Broken Pencil Magazine #82, January, 2019, Pencil Sharpeners, page 4. “Comics Librarians Begin Open Library” by Jonathan Valelly
Comicon.com, November 11th, 2018. “Talking With The Canada Comics Open Library About Their Launch and Future Goals” by Koom Kankesan
Elsewhere
Writing blog: Library Kind
Canada Comics Open Library blog: Author, Admin
Art store: Monster Maiden Zines
Drawing Tumblr (2009-2018): Monsters and Maidens
Rotem Anna Diamant 