Benedetta D'Incau's graphic novel explores Jewish-Muslim coexistence in Yemen

Benedetta D'Incau, known as BeneDì, is a comic artist featured in Artribune's new magazine. Her debut graphic novel "Il racconto della roccia" (Coconino, 2023) is set in Yemen in 1915, following two boys, Benjamin (Jewish) and Hakim (Muslim). When Benjamin's father plans to move to Istanbul, Benjamin recalls a village spell that summons a jinn, causing chaos by forbidding adult men from leaving home. Extremists exploit the disruption. The story is framed by the adult Benjamin and Hakim meeting in Vienna on November 9, 1938. D'Incau, who studied at Venice and Bologna, is completing a PhD in comics studies in Tours, France. She cites influences from Craig Thompson, Akira Toriyama, and Asaf Hanuka. For Artribune, she created a four-page comic synthesizing a travel experience without being self-indulgent.