You’ll have the chance to meet Éric Savoldelli at the Wood Festival.
The son of a mountain hut warden and a lumberjack, Éric grew up in the Écrins massif. After experiencing an artistic epiphany upon discovering Jean-Marc Rochette’s *Ailefroide* in 2018, he abandoned his plans to become a mountain guide to devote himself to drawing. Trained by Rochette, he published *Lignes de Vies* in 2022 (Les Étages Éditions), followed by his first comic book, *Mona*, in May 2026. His raw, high-contrast style tells powerful stories rooted in the world of the mountains.

The book:

The Écrins Massif, 1950s.

Melchio, Andrea and Renzo, young Italian woodcutters, cross the Alps with their mare Mona to settle in Monêtier-les-Bains, a village shaped by the graphite mining industry. Despite hostility from the locals, their talent and integrity – along with the mysterious bond between Melchio and Mona – eventually transform the village. A story of courage and overcoming racism.