Comics artist and animator Vera Brosgol drew on her own immigrant childhood for inspiration in creating the character of Anya, the haunted teenager at the heart of her debut graphic novel. Anya's Ghost has been named a Kirkus Best Teen Book of the year and been called "a masterpiece" by author Neil Gaiman.  Vera wrote Anya's ghost while working on storyboards for the Laika animated features Coraline and Paranorman, and has directed her own animated shorts, including the darkly comic Snow-Bo.