Zaffre, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, will publish a new edition of Heather Morris’ international bestseller, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, to coincide with the release of a major Sky TV mini-series of the novel set to air on 2nd May on Sky Atlantic.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz has spent a combined 85 weeks on the Sunday Times bestsellers lists and was the UK’s biggest-selling fiction book of 2019. More than 13 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide, with rights now sold in 52 territories.
Publication of the new TV tie-in edition, which will feature artwork from the series, will be accompanied by a major global marketing and publicity campaign launching in April. Morris, who was a story consultant on the TV production, will be marking publication with a number of national broadcast and print media interviews and live events in the UK.
One of the bestselling books of the 21st century, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is inspired by the real-life story of Lale and Gita Sokolov, who met while prisoners in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during the Holocaust and fell in love. Morris met Sokolov in 2003 and wrote Tattooist based upon the hours of conversation they shared together. Their friendship will be dramatized in the TV adaptation with Academy Award-nominee Harvey Keitel (The Irishman, Youth) and Critics Choice Awards winner Melanie Lynskey (The Last of Us, Yellowjackets), respectively starring as modern-day Lale and Heather. Actors Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid, World on Fire) and Anna Próchniak (Baptiste, Warsaw 44) will be taking the lead roles of (young) Lale Sokolov and Gita Furman and Jonas Nay will play Stefan Baretzki.
Heather Morris said: ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on a true story which is incredibly close to my heart, and it’s so special to have the opportunity to share Lale and Gita’s unforgettable journey of love and courage with a new audience across the globe. It has been an honour to work as a story consultant with the remarkable team at Synchronicity Films, along with the talented cast and crew, and I can’t wait for readers and viewers to see the story brought to life.’
Sarah Benton, MD, Zaffre Publishing Group, said: ‘Everyone at Bonnier Books has been so proud to publish The Tattooist of Auschwitz for the last six years, and to see the millions of people who have taken Lale and Gita’s story into their hearts. We are so excited to work with Sky and Heather to take this unforgettable story out to even more readers around the world.’
The Tattooist of Auschwitz TV tie-in edition will be published in paperback on the 11th April 2024 and is also available in audio and ebook.
