by Kate on Oct 1, 2010 at 11:44 am
In Noah Barleywater Runs Away, best-selling author John Boyne explores the world of childhood and the adventures that we can all have there.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwIEcBkUMnM]
John Boyne will be talking about his magical new book NOAH BARLEYWATER RUNS AWAY at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Saturday 9th October. The event is for a family audience. John’s appearances at the Edinburgh Festival last month sold out very fast, so do reserve your tickets now at http://cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature-2010/john-boyne/
I’ve spent the last few days in St Petersburg, Russia. It’s my second trip here; the first came in late November/early December 2007 when I visited the city while writing THE HOUSE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE. I researched quite a bit of the novel here, writing many scenes in the Winter Palace itself, and despite being here during the coldest time of year, I fell in love with the city. Read the rest of this entry »
John Boyne joined debut novelist Rosie Alison at the SW11 Literary Festival in Waterstone’s Clapham on Monday night. John read from his latest book THE HOUSE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE and he and Rosie, who co-produced the film of THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS, answered questions about working together on the film. John clearly remembered Rosie’s initial call back to him in 2005, which led of course to the film’s release exactly a year ago. The book continues to enjoy enormous commercial success for both David Fickling Books and Transworld.
by Jonny on Jun 18, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Adding to an already impressive list of accolades, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne has been voted the Penguin Orange Readers’ Group Book of the Year. Competition for the Prize was fierce, with The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas eventually beating Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight and JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye into second and third position.
The winner was decided by a public vote, via the Spinebreakers website and from people entering the 2009 Penguin Orange Readers’ Group Prize.
On hearing the news, John Boyne said: “I’m thrilled… From the day the novel was published, it has received extraordinary support from reading groups who debate the novel back and forth with all the passion and argument that good literature demands – I know, because I’ve been there for some of those debates! That the story of Bruno and Shmuel continues to move readers is a source of great encouragement to me as a writer. I’m very grateful to Penguin and Orange and all the readers who selected the novel for this prize.”
The Prize is in its eighth year and is the UK’s only annual award for reading groups. It has previously been won by Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, which claimed the top spot three years in a row.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas previously won two Irish Book Awards, was shortlisted for the British Book Award and reached No. 1 on the New York Times Bestsellers list.
by Jonny on Sep 18, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Teen thriller writer Oisin McGann is a busy man. Working as a freelance illustrator and mercenary artist by day and escapist writer by night, we at between-the-lines were delighted that he took time out of his busy schedule to review the film adaption of John Boyne’s spectacular, bestselling novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. In cinemas now, the film has already been hailed as one of the most moving and remarkable films about childhood ever seen.
Oisin went to a special screening last week, and donned his Jonathan Ross hat to write an exclusive review for us. Special thanks to publicity extraordinaire Lauren Bennett for lending a hand!
“I have always felt that John Boyne’s ‘The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas’ fell into the category of ‘children’s books for adults’ and much the same could be said of this film. Mark Herman and his cast have done an excellent job of bringing this story to the screen. But the thread of horror that underlies an otherwise gentle story – any violence is only hinted at or implied – is dependent on a knowledge of the Holocaust.
And the horror is there, deftly handled and driven to an unnerving peak by the shocking climax of the film. Herman brings a new pace to the story by making the essential elements more immediate as is demanded by a good adaptation. The action takes place over a shorter period, the camp is smaller and closer to the house than described in the book. Herman applies a touch of artistic license while keeping true to the tale.
The two boys, Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon, are completely convincing and the cast’s collective performance is seamless. From a young boy’s selfishness in eating chocolate intended for a hungry friend, to the chilling image of a man in a gas mask looking down through a hole in the ceiling, our capacity for harming our fellow humans is laid bare in simple and unflinching clarity.”
Oisin McGann’s latest book Strangled Silence is out now, priced £6.99. The book is a gripping and taut conspiracy novel, think The Manchurian Candidate meets Black Hawk Down! If you haven’t already got a copy, what are you waiting for?!
