American multimedia artist and writer Tessa Hulls has announced that she will not be writing another book, despite winning the Pulitzer Prize for her debut graphic memoir, Feeding Ghosts.
The book, which took nearly a decade to complete, traces the lives of three generations of women in Hulls’ family, beginning with her grandmother, Sun Yi, a journalist during the Communist takeover in China. Blending personal narrative with historical events, the memoir explores themes of migration, trauma, and resilience.
While Feeding Ghosts has been widely celebrated—earning both the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction and multiple “book of the year” recognitions—Hulls says she always knew it would be her only book.
> “I truly do believe that the reason I was born as an artist and a writer … was because someone in my family had to finish this story,” Hulls said in an interview on CBC’s Bookends with Mattea Roach.
The Weight of Writing
Hulls admitted that the creative process was emotionally devastating, forcing her to confront deep family trauma. She described the writing years as isolating, but found joy and healing in reconnecting with people during her extensive book tour.
Her research also revealed surprising truths. Having her grandmother’s memoir translated into English reshaped the project, showing Sun Yi not just as a heroic journalist but as a flawed and complicated figure. This discovery turned the book into both a historical and deeply personal reckoning.
Turning Toward a New Path
Despite her literary success, Hulls insists she is not a career author. Instead, she identifies as a multidisciplinary artist who now plans to merge her creative skills with activism.
“I really want to fuse my wilderness life and my creative life,” she explained. “I want to be of service by working on environmental justice and climate change—essentially becoming an embedded comics journalist.”
Hulls has since relocated to Alaska, where she hopes to collaborate with scientists, Indigenous organizations, and community leaders to tell stories rooted in environmental preservation.
With Feeding Ghosts, Tessa Hulls may have closed the chapter on her career as an author, but her storytelling journey—through art, activism, and new forms of expression—appears far from over.
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