Christine Leunens has been selected as a UNESCO – Prague City of Literature writer in residence 2023!

Bateman Books is proud to announce that Christine Leunens’ author of In Amber’s Wake has been selected as a UNESCO – Prague City of Literature writer in residence 2023 and will be residing at the Franz Kafka House from the 1st March through to the end April. There were over 500 applications!

The committee was composed of former director of the Book World Fair Prague Dana Kalinová, translator and founder of the Poetry Day festival Bernie Higgins, Anna Hrabáčková from Czech Centres and chief Kateřina Bajo Prague City of Literature.

In Amber’s Wake is being translated into many languages including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian and Estonian for 25 countries throughout Europe and South America. Upon release it went straight onto the NZ Bestsellers list and received numerous positive reviews from media:

‘This is a powerful tale of love, loss, obsession, and destructive choices, interwoven with seismic political events. And, like Leunens’ previous novel, there is enough here to suggest it could well become another acclaimed movie.’ NZ Listener

‘Leunens keeps the pace rolling at a swift clip. It’s episodic. A golden light of nostalgia is cast over all.’ NZ Herald, Canvas Magazine

‘It’s really well written and I loved it. And it’s a book of course that we’re going to relate to because it’s set against the background of the anti-nuclear movement and Springbok Tour and Rainbow Warrior. It’s got some great visual history in it.’ Newstalk ZB, The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

In Amber’s Wake is a romantic drama that is as unpredictable as it is heartfelt, by the author of Prix Médicis-nominated book Caging Skies, which was adapted into the Academy Award-winning movie Jojo Rabbit directed by Taika Waititi.

The film adaptation of In Amber’s Wake, whose screenplay Christine penned, is currently being made into a motion picture, by the producer of the Academy Award-winning Thelma & Louise.

Set in New Zealand during the fast-changing, tumultuous 1980s era of the anti-nuclear movement, Springbok rugby tour protests, and the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, In Amber’s Wake is a powerful and passionate novel that shows the staggering lengths some people will go to for those they love.

Christine Leunens is the author of: Primordial Soup, described by The Sunday Times as ‘a remarkable debut novel’; A Can of Sunshine, selected as one of the Best Books of the Year 2013 by the New Zealand Herald; and Caging Skies. Christine’s novels have been translated into over 20 languages. She lives in Nelson with her family and is currently working on her fifth novel.