Indian Artist Nihaarika Negi Nominated for Prestigious Zelda Award

Negi's debut graphic novel "Hunger" recognized for its exploration of body horror and identity in a post-colonial setting.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Nihaarika Negi, an Indian filmmaker, interdisciplinary artist, and writer, has been nominated for the inaugural 2026 Zelda Awards for her debut graphic novel "Hunger" from indie publisher The LAB Press. Set in 1896 Bombay under British colonial rule, the story follows a young girl whose transformation draws upon South Asian folklore and reflects the violent historical forces of the time.

Why it matters

Negi's nomination highlights the way her work blends mythology, historical memory, and genre storytelling to explore themes of transformation, survival, and folklore. As a part-indigenous artist working across multiple mediums, her recognition signals the growing prominence of diverse voices and perspectives in the comics landscape.

The details

"Hunger" is a graphic novel that delves into body horror and identity in a post-colonial setting. The story centers on Izna, a young girl whose transformation is both a matter of survival and rebellion, drawing upon the mythology of the Pisach, a supernatural entity from South Asian folklore associated with hunger and spiritual corruption. Negi's interpretation uses this mythology as both horror and metaphor, reflecting the violent historical forces surrounding the characters.

  • Nihaarika Negi's debut graphic novel "Hunger" has been recognized with a prestigious Zelda Award nomination.
  • The Zelda Awards were founded in 2026 by Karla 'Moon the Storyteller' Medrano, creator of Blaq Girl Comics, to celebrate female creators shaping the comics landscape.

The players

Nihaarika Negi

An Indian filmmaker, interdisciplinary artist, and writer who works internationally. Her debut graphic novel "Hunger" from The LAB Press has been nominated for the inaugural 2026 Zelda Awards.

The LAB Press

An indie publisher that emphasizes visual storytelling and carefully crafted physical editions of graphic novels, including Negi's "Hunger".

Joe Bacardo

The artist who brought Negi's graphic novel "Hunger" to life through their visuals.

Karla 'Moon the Storyteller' Medrano

The creator of Blaq Girl Comics who founded the Zelda Awards in 2026 to recognize female creators shaping the comics landscape.

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What they’re saying

“If there's anything to be learned from history, it's that we should go back into our individual and collective stories and try to retell them from new perspectives—perspectives that reshape and reframe what we think we know.”

— Nihaarika Negi, Writer of "Hunger" from The LAB Press

“From the moment Nihaarika shared Hunger with us, I knew we had something rare on our hands. This wasn't a story that could be told any other way — the silence between panels, the weight a single image can carry, the mythology living inside the history. Her understanding of horror as something that doesn't just frighten but reveals stayed with me. Everything about how we published it — the format, the hardcover — came from wanting to do justice to that.”

— Diane Richey, President and Co-Founder of The LAB Press

What’s next

The winner of the Zelda Award in the Graphic Novels Horror category will be announced at the awards ceremony on March 15, 2026.

The takeaway

Nihaarika Negi's nomination for her debut graphic novel "Hunger" highlights the growing prominence of diverse voices and perspectives in the comics landscape, as part-indigenous artists like Negi blend mythology, historical memory, and genre storytelling to explore themes of transformation, survival, and folklore.