The English German Girl
19 April 2011
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Critically acclaimed novel by Bournemouth University (BU) Practitioner in Residence has sold out of first print run. |
BU Practitioner in Residence Jake Wallis Simons' latest novel has achieved sales and critical acclaim in equal measure, selling out the first-print run in just four days. 'The English German Girl' follows the story of the kindertransport, seen through the lens of an affluent Jewish family in the 1930s.
Commenting about the book's immediate success on Jake's blog, Hugh Andrew, Managing Director of Polygon books, said: "This shows not only that 'The English German Girl' is an excellent and moving read, but also that as we approach a time when there will no longer be any Holocaust survivors living, there is a renewed interest in the kindertransport."
At the recent launch party Jake himself paid tribute to the Kindertransport survivors in attendance, before reading an emotional extract which describes the moment that Rosa Klein said goodbye to her parents for the last time.
The novel has been highly praised for its blend of meticulous research, attention to detail, and powerful storytelling, which have proved to be a winning combination thus far.
Writing in 'The Independent', Beryl Bainbridge hailed Jake as "a new young voice in British fiction - entertaining provocative and original. Jake Wallis Simons will surely prove a name to remember".
Jake joined BU as a Practitioner in Residence in September to share journalism and novelist expertise with Media School students and staff. He is an Oxford graduate and a freelance journalist and novelist who writes primarily for 'The Times'.
When asked about working at BU Jake said: "I hope to bring to the university a sense of what it means to be a freelance novelist and journalist surviving in the cut-and-thrust of the modern world. I believe it is important not to lose an appreciation of the pursuit of knowledge and ideas for their own sake, while still earning a crust".
'The English German Girl' is Jake's fourth novel and has now been released in its second-print run as demand for the book continues.