DID YOU KNOW?

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and has inspired a movie adaptation.

It’s the most widely read book about the Holocaust among students aged 12-18, surpassing Anne Frank’s Diary, according to the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education.

It has attracted a lot of criticism for historical inaccuracies. In 2020, the Auschwitz Memorial condemned the book, writing: “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas should be avoided by anyone who studies or teaches about the history of the Holocaust.”

Boyne has defended his novel, saying works of fiction cannot be factually incorrect.