The Irish writer John Boyne is best known for his 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which became a literary phenomenon, selling more than 11 million copies around the world. It was translated into 60 languages and adapted into a film, a play, a ballet and an opera. He has written more than two dozen books, including a number of titles for younger readers. He was born in Dublin in 1971, and had ambitions to become a writer from an early age. He studied English Literature at Trinity College Dublin, followed by a Master’s degree in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. From the mid-1990s, he spent seven years working at a bookshop in Dublin, while trying to launch his literary career. Many of his books have historical settings: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is the story of two boys – one German, one Jewish – during the Holocaust; other books have taken inspiration from the Mutiny on the Bounty and Tsarist Russia. More recently, he’s addressed sexual and physical abuse within the Catholic church in Ireland, drawing in part on his own experiences at school. He lives in Dublin, not far from where he grew up. DISC ONE: Bright Eyes - Art Garfunkel DISC TWO: The Sound of Music - Julie Andrews DISC THREE: Elton's Song - Elton John DISC FOUR: Take on Me - A-ha DISC FIVE: Lullaby for Cain (Instrumental) - Sinéad O'Connor DISC SIX: Extract from String Quartet No. 4, composed by Noah Max and performed by The Tippett Quartet DISC SEVEN: Make Your Own Kind of Music - Mama Cass DISC EIGHT: Night of the Swallow - Kate Bush BOOK CHOICE: The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot LUXURY ITEM: A cinema screen showing The Devil Wears Prada CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Night of the Swallow - Kate Bush Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah Taylor
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Hello, I'm Lauren Laverne, and this is the Desert Island Discs podcast.
Every week I ask my guests to choose the eight tracks book and luxury they'd want to take with them if they were cast away to a desert island.
And for rights reasons, the music is shorter than the original broadcast.
I hope you enjoy listening.
My castaway this week is the author John Boyne.
He's best known for the international bestseller the Boy in the striped pajamas.
It's a literary sensation, selling more than 11 million copies in 60 languages, making him the most translated irish author in history, and it was adapted into film, ballet, even opera.
He is as prolific as he is popular, with 14 novels for adults and six for younger readers, as well as novellas and short stories under his belt.
He was born and raised in Dublin, but started off writing about pretty much everywhere and everywhen else.
The first 15 years of his career took him from Czarist Russia to Edwardian London via both world wars.
More recently, hes explored creative territory closer to home.
His book, a history of loneliness, drew on his own experience of childhood abuse at the hands of one of his teachers.
He says, I want to push myself with each book.
At the end of my life, I'd like to see a progression through a body of work, from youthful energy like a puppy dog jumping all over the place, to a much more thoughtful and introspective style.
John Boyne, welcome to Desert island Discs.
Thank you very much.
So, John, I mean, prolific is the word, isn't it?
You've written 25 books by my count.
Does it always feel like there's more creativity to come and, oh, it always.