Eleanor Crewes is an author, illustrator and graphic novelist who enjoys mixing autobiography into her graphic storytelling.

Her debut graphic novel The Times I Knew I Was Gay was originally created in 2017 as a 2-part, handmade and self-published zine, which Eleanor would bike across London to various comic shops. As demand grew her zine developed into a larger book that she published in 2018 with Good Comics. After selling out the first edition, she expanded it into a fully-fledged memoir with Virago (UK) and Scribner (US) . Her follow-up book, a middle grade graphic novel called Lilla, the Accidental Witch, was published by Little Brown for Young Readers in 2021.

Reviews:

"In this charming, funny comic, Crewes traces the moments she realised she might be gay, from her holy communion to her first date with a woman. She describes the “burst of life” she feels when she comes out once and for all – and the regret that it has taken her so long." Kate Davies, author of In At The Deep End

“Eleanor Crewes totally blew me away. The art is evocative and the story is authentic and hilarious. As a gay woman I’m constantly looking for content that feels true to my own experiences, that helps me understand myself more - in this book, I found that.” Tillie Walden, author of Spinning and On a Sunbeam

"Navigating one’s own relation to the world has never been simple, but Crewes’ deftly drawn lines don’t divide her from the norm, they place her lovingly within its problematic embrace." Jenny Robins, The Quietus

"a really poignant look at the fuzziness and confusions of queer life. It was beautiful" Ruby Tandoh

“Ellie Crewes' honesty should be applauded in quietly and succinctly challenging a social obsession with trying to fit people's sexual identities into restrictive categories.” Nicola Streeten, author of The Inking Woman, Billy, Me & You

“This fuller-length The Times I Knew I Was Gay surpasses expectations, with Crewes providing a coming-of-age style account of coming out that is witty, poignant and beautifully observed...Undoubtedly set to be one of the year’s most talked about UK small press offerings” Andy Oliver, Broken Frontier