Saša Stanišić

A summer camp deep in the forest. Long hikes, potatoes roasting, the buzz of mosquitos. Adolescents, left to nature and their own devices for a few days, loosely chaperoned by counselors of greater and lesser motivation. Two classmates, outsiders, try to endure the unpleasant activities and group pressure. One of them, Jörg, is badly affected – he is pressured, humiliated, othered even more. The other one just observes the attacks in the fear of becoming a victim himself. The situation threatening to escalate, a wolf appears to boot. Is it all a nightmare? Or a call to face up to the nightmare that is reality and be brave, for oneself and others? In his first children’s novel, award-winning author Saša Stanišić (Where You Come From) shows the fine line between being different and ostracism. He writes about fear while being encouraging.