NEWS > BUSINESS > PUBLISHER PREPS ANNE FRANK SEQUEL

PUBLISHER PREPS ANNE FRANK SEQUEL

July 6 2009

Stockholm, Sweden – The story of Anne Frank has been one of the most enduring and most compelling of the many tales that came out of the Holocaust. The powerful tale of a young girl in hiding from the oppressive Nazi regime, with death possible at any moment, has compelled generations of young people and brought tactical
recognition of the Holocaust and the traumas endured by the millions who perished. The popularity of the book has in fact established as not only one of the most important texts of World War II but also of 20th century literature and that success hasn’t gone unnoticed by publishers.

Nicotext, the Swedish publisher who recently made waves with the publication of a sequel to ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ is reportedly prepping a sequel to the diaries on Frank. Already enjoying great success and publicity with their follow-up to another great work of literature of the 20th century, the publisher is hoping to recreate that success with the Frank sequel and in the process further illuminate the suffering of those who perished in the Holocaust.

“We certainly understand why people would be sceptical of a sequel to one of the
most beloved books in history but we feel that our treatment of the material will not only evoke the nature of the original work but will also pay homage and respect to the suffering of Anne Frank and to all who perished in the Holocaust,” said a spokesperson for the publisher. “We ask people to wait until publication before jumping to conclusions and they will see that our rendition of the work will not only be done with integrity but with understanding and sympathy for the experience of all Jewish persons and others who perished in the Holocaust.”

The publisher did not reveal explicit details of the book but did state that it will takeplace immediately after the events depicted in the original piece and will exclude the real life fact of Frank’s death in a concentration camp in 1945. The new book will also eschew the diary style of the original for a more traditional narrative.

“The ‘Catcher’ sequel isn’t the first re-imagination of a classic work and from those who have read it is almost a tribute to the original text. The idea of picking up the characters from another text and using them in a modern setting is a compelling idea especially when the original author is unwilling or unable to do so themselves. With something like ‘Catcher’ a sequel is more or less harmless but with ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’, well that’s a totally different story,” said Scrape TV Literary analyst Samuel Lee. “Crafting a sequel to a work of fiction is a much different prospect than doing such with non-fiction. That is especially true when you play fast and loose with the facts. True it frees the writer creatively but it will inevitably call into question the veracity and integrity of the piece. Non-fiction after all depends largely on the facts in order for it to work.”

Nicotext was successfully sued by ‘Catcher’ author J.D. Salinger which halted publication of the sequel in the United States. Salinger has not published anything in more than four decades but it is unclear if the sequel was
inhibiting his own ability to craft a follow-up. Such protestations are less likely with the Frank sequel.

“Anytime you play with a classic text you are opening yourself to potential criticism and though controversy may sell some copies it is unlikely that many fans or critics will take the work seriously. Even when the original author plays with his or her text such criticism and indifference tends to predominate and that will likely be the fate of the Frank book,” continued Lee. “Of course controversy does sell and if they can craft a compelling book – say Anne Frank going Nazi hunting or becoming Chancellor of Germany. Creatively the possibilities are endless but I doubt many people are going to respect the text no matter how well written it may or may not be. One thing it will do though is give closure to that very abrupt ending which really was begging for a sequel.”

Twentieth Century-Fox has reportedly optioned the book for a feature film which would be a follow-up to their 1959 film of the original book.

William Ashford, Business Correspondent

NEWS > BUSINESS > PUBLISHER PREPS ANNE FRANK SEQUEL