Latest news with #TheBoyInTheStripedPyjamas
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Queer writing awards boycotted over nomination of gender-critical author
A prize celebrating the work of gay writers has been boycotted for nominating a gender-critical author. The Polari Prize awards, celebrating LGBT literature, has come under fire after its longlist included Earth, a novella by John Boyne, a self-described 'Terf'. So far, 800 writers and publishing workers have signed a statement objecting to Boyne's nomination, while 10 nominees have withdrawn their names in protest. Boyne, best known for his 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, was nominated for Earth, which tackles issues including homophobia and sexual assault. The author has previously described himself as a 'fellow Terf' – a slur used to describe 'transgender-exclusionary radical feminists' – while expressing support for his friend JK Rowling in the Irish Independent. The authors boycotting the prize called his inclusion on the longlist, published on Aug 6, 'inexcusable' in light of his comments. In a statement, they said: 'His public statements on trans rights and identity are incompatible with the LGBTQ+ community's most basic standards of inclusion. 'In any year, the decision to include Mr Boyne on the longlist would be, in our view, inappropriate and hurtful to the wider community of LGBTQ+ readers and writers. 'That the decision has been made this year – in the context of rising anti-trans hatred and systematic exclusion of trans people from public life in the UK and across the world – is inexcusable.' Alice Oseman, the Heartstopper author, is among a group of writers including Nikesh Shukla, Julia Armfield and Kirsty Logan, to have signed the statement. They said Boyne 'has publicly and unequivocally associated himself with trans exclusionary sentiments.' In April, Britain's highest court declared that transgender women are not legally women, with the ruling hailed as a victory by Rowling, the Harry Potter author. Boyne's defence of Rowling has also seen two judges, including author Nicola Dinan, who won Polari's first book prize last year for her novel Bellies, withdraw from the prize. Jason Okundaye and Andrew McMillan have both asked for their novels to be removed from this year's nominations in protest. In his tribute to Rowling, published last month, Boyne described some 'grown women' who supported trans rights as people who were 'astonishingly complicit in their own erasure'. He also likened them to a female character from The Handmaid's Tale, who he said was 'ready to pin a handmaiden down as her husband rapes her'. 'We can at times hold radically different positions' The Polari Prize has emphasised that the award was 'founded on the core principles of diversity and inclusion', but said books are not eliminated 'based on the wider views of a writer'. A statement responding to the controversy said: 'We are committed to supporting trans right and amplifying trans voices, as demonstrated both in the history of the prize and the Polari salon, where trans and non-binary writers and performers have featured regularly as valued members of the LGBTQ+ writing community. 'It is inevitable, given the challenges we face and the diversity of the lived experience we now represent under the LGBTQ+ Polari umbrella, that even within our community, we can at times hold radically different positions on substantive issues. This is one of those times. 'John Boyne's novel Earth was included on the Polari Prize longlist on merit as judged by our jury, following the process and principles stated above. While we do not eliminate books based on the wider views of a writer, we regret the upset and hurt this has caused. 'Polari is committed to inclusion, not exclusion…Books are one of our best means to explore the most difficult and divisive issues, and we encourage an open dialogue across our community.'
ABC News
06-08-2025
- ABC News
Irish author John Boyne on writing The Elements, a four-part series examining child abuse
When John Boyne — the author of bestselling novels The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Heart's Invisible Furies — was growing up in Ireland in the 1980s and 90s, the country was beginning to reckon with its history of abuse. It became clear that many people knew sexual crimes were happening, but looked the other way. "That's the thing that's always fascinated me," Boyne tells ABC Radio National's The Book Show. "I'm not so much interested in the monsters. Complicity is a theme that runs through much of Boyne's work, from 2015's A History of Loneliness, about systemic sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, to his latest work, a four-part series of linked novellas known as The Elements. Each book explores the issue of child abuse from a different perspective: that of an enabler (Water), a complicit observer (Earth), a perpetrator (Fire) and a victim (Air). The issue of child abuse has particular resonance for Boyne, who was assaulted by a teacher when he was a high school student in Dublin. Boyne was one of 12 victims who reported the abuse to the police as adults. The man was arrested and was due in court in March 2024. However, he died of natural causes a few months before the trial was scheduled to begin. It was a frustrating outcome for the group. "The 12 of us didn't get our day in court," Boyne says. But the experience spurred him to use his platform as an author to send a message to fellow victims of abuse. "I really want to … say that if something like this has happened to you, it doesn't matter how long ago it was, you can still go to the police. They would hear your story," he says. The four Elements books share common characters and settings, the echoes of each story reverberating through the others. The prolific Boyne published one novella every six months, beginning in 2023. The completed series is due to be published in one volume as The Elements in September. The first book, Water, is narrated by a Dublin woman, Willow Hale, who escapes to a remote island on the Irish West Coast to start a new life. Willow's 25-year marriage ends when her husband is convicted of child abuse, and she must reckon with the past and her role in her husband's crimes. "As I started it, I didn't know what the answers to those questions were going to be for her because I don't like plotting out a novel. I prefer to start with an idea or a theme or a character and see where it will take me," Boyne says. "It was through her interactions with the islanders that she gets those answers for herself and finally comes to some sort of catharsis, with some understanding of her own part in her family's past." The next novella, Earth, picks up the story of a peripheral character from Water: Evan Keogh, a 16-year-old boy who flees the island to escape his violent father. In Earth, Evan, now in his early 20s, is a professional footballer accused of being an accessory to rape. As the trial against him and his teammate, Robbie, unfolds, we learn tragic details about Evan's past. Abuse, it becomes clear, takes many forms. Despite their dark subject matter, the books contain moments of levity to break the tension. Humour is a valuable tool when writing about such dark subjects, Boyne says. "You need something that will allow the reader to take a breath every so often. "Anytime I go into universities to talk to creative writing students … I [always] say no matter what you're writing, no matter how dark or personal … bring in a few jokes every so often. It's good for the reader, and it lightens the pace." Narrated by a perpetrator, Fire, the third book of the series, is one of Boyne's darkest. Perhaps that's why, of his 20-plus books for children and adults, he found it the hardest to write. "It was the most difficult voice," he says. "[Dr Freya Petrus] is a respected surgeon. She's very good at her job, very empathetic with her patients. But she is abusing young boys outside of her professional life. "The nine months or so I … [had] that voice in my head [every] day, it did start to weigh down on me, I must admit, because it's not easy to stay in the mind of someone who is committing these acts." Boyne acknowledges that most sexual crimes are committed by men; however, in recent years, he says he has noticed an increasing number of cases involving female perpetrators reported in the media. He felt it was an under-examined issue. "I hadn't read about it in a novel; we always read about the men committing the crimes," he says "I thought it would be very interesting to focus on a woman's point of view and see what might lead her to that moment." Flashbacks to a traumatic event in her past give context to Dr Petrus's present-day behaviour. "We discover what it is that has led her to behave in the way she behaves," Boyne says. "Not everybody who has been abused goes on to be an abuser, but most people who abuse have probably been abused, and one of the things I try to dig down to in the books is what happened to the people in the past who commit these crimes? It's a sentiment articulated by a character in Fire, speaking about her abusive father: "It's the committing of the act that matters," she says. "He could have chosen to break the cycle." The final book, Air, follows Aaron Umber — who appears in Fire as a 23-year-old medical student — as he embarks on an overseas trip with his 14-year-old son, Emmett. Aaron, now 40, is overwhelmed by fear for Emmett, who is the same age he was when he was abused, and his anxiety creates tension between father and son. "He is worried about the world his son is in," Boyne says. "[But] the 14-year-old boy is at the point in his life where he wants his freedom. He wants a bit of independence; he wants his father to back off." In Fire, danger came from the physical world. In Air, it's the digital world that poses the greater risk. "I don't have children, but I have many friends who have teenage kids, and their biggest fear is what's going on in that little phone in their pockets," Boyne says. Cyberbullying and image-based abuse are serious threats that can cause distress and trauma and, in some cases, lead to suicide. "[Children often] don't have the emotional resources yet to deal with that," Boyne says. "Aaron … knows that he's never going to get access to [Emmett's] private digital life. But what he does need to access is his son's emotional life. Now that The Elements is complete, the author has had the chance to reflect on the series and what he describes as a cathartic writing process. "I have felt empowered," he says. It has also enabled him to move forward from his own experience of abuse. "I feel like I've now written myself out of this subject. I don't see myself returning to it in fiction," he says. "I've been dealing with this long enough in my life, and it's time to forget it and move on. "Every second, every minute that you give your abuser further thought is still giving them some sort of power, and I choose not to let that happen anymore. "I'm proud of what I've done in these four books, and I think it's been good for me as a person." Water, Earth, Fire and Air are published by Doubleday (Penguin).
Daily Record
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Amazon Prime viewers 'in tears' after watching 'devastating' war film
The war film still has people talking years after its release Over 15 years since its release, the film continues to haunt audiences, with many describing it as "absolutely devastating". Asa Butterfield delivers a poignant performance as an eight year old boy in The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, a film set amidst the terror of World War II. Adapted from John Boyne's novel, the narrative unfolds within Nazi-occupied Poland and confronts viewers with a deeply moving plot that often reduces them to tears. A critic on Rotten Tomatoes reflected: "Such a heartbreaking story about love, friendship, and the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust. Other than Schindler's List, I've never sobbed so hard in my life." The 2008 film features the actor known for Netflix's Sex Education as young Bruno, whose life is uprooted when his father, an SS officer, gets a promotion that necessitates a move to Poland. During one of his explorations, Bruno discovers what he thinks is a farm behind his house, which is actually a concentration camp, leading his mother to forbid him from playing there. Defying his mother's orders, Bruno ventures into the woods where he encounters a barbed wire fence encircling the camp. On the other side, he meets Smuel, a boy his own age, sparking an unlikely friendship, reports the Express. Bruno starts visiting Smuel regularly, bringing him food across the fence, and soon realises that his new friend is a Jewish child who was taken to the camp along with his parents. A review gushes: "This movie had me in tears after knowing the plot of it. It breaks my heart seeing the plot twist of the story. "Seeing that Bruno was sorry and wanted to help Shmuel but ended up in a twisted fate, it awfully does break my heart. I'd definitely say this is a must watch movie if you badly want to cry." Another viewer commented: "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a masterpiece. Highly absorbing and moving film. It makes me cry every time I watch it. Absolutely love it. One of my all-time favourites. It is one of those movies that goes straight to the heart." However, since its premiere, numerous critics have condemned the film for its historical depiction, suggesting it could inadvertently foster sympathy for Holocaust perpetrators. A critical review states: "The story is exactly what comes out when a daydreaming, ignorant filmmaker tries to invent a cliché Holocaust drama in his own Hollywood bubble." It is important to recognise the significant role both the children's novel and the cinematic version have played in educating young people about the Holocaust. Holocaust education expert Michael Grey notes with interest that over three-quarters of British students (aged 13-14) engage more deeply with The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas compared to The Diary of Anne Frank. For those who are ready for an emotionally-charged viewing experience, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas can be streamed on Amazon Prime.
Edinburgh Live
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
War film breaks viewers hearts - 'I've never sobbed so hard in my life'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Over 15 years since its release, audiences are finding it hard to let go of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, as they continue to label the film "absolutely devastating". Asa Butterfield delivers a stirring performance as an eight-year-old boy in The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, unfolding amidst the terrors of the Second World War. Adapted from John Boyne's novel, the drama is fiercely set within the confines of Nazi-invaded Poland and dares to present an emotionally charged narrative that reduces viewers to tears. One Rotten Tomatoes critic expressed: "Such a heartbreaking story about love, friendship, and the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust. Other than Schindler's List, I've never sobbed so hard in my life." Launched onto screens in 2008, the cinematic piece stars the actor well-known from Netflix's Sex Education as young Bruno, whose father's an SS officer whose new post requires the family to relocate to Poland. On a day filled with curiosity, Bruno encounters a concentration camp, which he naively assumes is a farm beyond his back garden; a place his mother strictly prohibits him from visiting. In a bout of defiance, Bruno slinks into the forest where he confronts a barbed wire fence enclosing the camp. At this border, he befriends Smuel, another youngster of his age, sparking a clandestine camaraderie, reports the Express. Day after day, Bruno sneaks away to see Smuel across the fence, gifting him bits of food. Eventually, Bruno comes to realise that his newfound chum is Jewish, having been brought to the camp with his parents. A review says: "This movie had me in tears after knowing the plot of it. It breaks my heart seeing the plot twist of the story. Seeing that Bruno was sorry and wanted to help Shmuel but ended up in a twisted fate, it awfully does break my heart. I'd definitely say this is a must watch movie if you badly want to cry." Another viewer remarked: "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a masterpiece. Highly absorbing and moving film. It makes me cry every time I watch it. Absolutely love it. One of my all-time favourites. It is one of those movies that goes straight to the heart." Nonetheless, amidst praises, the film has not been without its detractors who criticise its historical portrayal. A critique reads: "The story is exactly what comes out when a daydreaming, ignorant filmmaker tries to invent a cliché Holocaust drama in his own Hollywood bubble." It's important to acknowledge the significant role the children's novel and subsequent film adaptation have played in Holocaust education for youngsters. Holocaust educator Michael Grey notes that well over half of British Year 9 students (ages 13-14) engage more deeply with The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas than The Diary of Anne Frank. For those bracing themselves for an emotional cinema experience, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime.
