John Boyne, the bestselling author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (David Fickling Books), will be the headlining international guest of the 2022 Malta Book Festival. 

Boyne’s presence at the 2022 Malta Book Festival is part of the international book tour for the forthcoming publication of his critically acclaimed latest novel, All the Broken Places (Doubleday), out on September 15, 2022 in the UK, and globally after that. 

The adult sequel to Boyne's celebrated YA holocaust novel returns to the themes of guilt, complicity and grief, and a devastating story about Gretel Fernsby, a 91-year-old woman who must confront the sins of her dark and disturbing past. Boyne describes All the Broken Places as, “A book that sets out to examine how culpable a young person might be, given the historical events unfolding around her, and whether such a person can ever cleanse themselves of the crimes committed by the people she loved.”

The book has also been described by the influential Kirkus Reviews as: “A complex, thoughtful character study that avoids easy answers”. 

John Boyne's latest novel, All the Broken Places.

When is a monster’s child culpable? Guilt and complicity are multifaceted. John Boyne is a maestro of historical fiction. You can’t prepare yourself for the magnitude and emotional impact of this powerful novel- John Irving

Boyne has written several works of fiction. He is the author of 13 novels for adults, six for younger readers and a collection of short stories. His 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has been adapted for cinema, theatre, ballet and opera, and sold more than 11 million copies worldwide, making it the biggest selling novel by an Irish writer ever since records began. His many international bestsellers include The Heart’s Invisible Furies (Doubleday), A Ladder to the Sky (Doubleday) and My Brother’s Name is Jessica (Puffin). Boyne won three Irish Book Awards, along with a host of other international literary prizes, including the Qué Leer Award for Novel of the Year in Spain and the Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize in Germany. His novels are published in over fifty languages.

At the Malta Book Festival Boyne will be meeting his younger readers during Friday’s English-language show. As of this year the schools visits’ programme is being organised in collaboration with Żigużajg. 

In the evening on Friday, November 25, Boyne will be interviewed on his life and works by lecturer and writer Leanne Ellul. Among her various works for children and adults Leanne Ellul is the author of prize-winning YA novel Gramma (Merlin Publishers, 2015) and Bjuda (2022). The event will be followed by a book signing session.

The full programme of events for the 2022 Malta Book Festival (November 23-27) will be published in the coming weeks. For the latest updates follow ktieb.org.mt and the National Book Council page on Facebook.