The Weight of Angels

John Boyne interviewed by Steph McGovern Some authors write bestselling novels. Others redefine modern fiction. Whitby Lit Fest is proud to welcome John Boyne, one of the most celebrated and internationally acclaimed novelists of our time. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and has been adapted for film, theatre, opera and ballet. His novels, including The Heart's Invisible Furies, A Ladder to the Sky and All the Broken Places, have captivated millions of readers and are published in more than 60 languages, making Boyne the most widely translated Irish novelist in history. In Whitby, he'll discuss his dazzling new novel, The Weight of Angels—an audacious reimagining of literary history that asks one irresistible question: what if Oscar Wilde had lived? What if prison hadn't destroyed his health? What if he had survived to witness the dawn of the twentieth century, meeting the writers, artists and visionaries who shaped the modern age? The result is a witty, moving and gloriously imaginative epic in which history takes an unexpected turn—and, in a delightful nod to Whitby, Bram Stoker has a cameo role… Joining Boyne on stage is broadcaster and bestselling novelist Steph McGovern, whose acclaimed thriller Deadline drew on her own experiences in television journalism. An unmissable evening with one of the world's great storytellers.