In the early part of a literary career which extends over four decades, Ian McEwan published two books for children,

(1985) and

(1994). McEwan

was commissioned to “rewrite” the English version

of

, an Italian picture book about wartime Germany and the horrors of concentration camps presented from the perspective of a child. McEwan “never saw the original Italian” of Roberto Innocenti and Christophe Gallaz so he considers his version “a very free translation” (qtd in Slay 151). However,

was written, as the author notes, “carefully” and developed one story at a time “over a period of three years” (Louvel et al. 77). First published in a children’s edition illustrated by Anthony Browne and reissued in 1995,

2732 words

Citation: Logotheti, Anastasia. "The Daydreamer". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 August 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=1113, accessed 18 April 2024.]

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