BOOK CLUB NOTES
BOOK EXTRACT
Here are some questions you might want to ask the author if he visits your school.
Questions to ask the author of Boy on a Wire
How long did it take to write Boy on a Wire?
Why did you write it? What inspired you to write it?
Is the central character, Jack Muir, really you, or how much of you?
Why did you call it Boy on a Wire and what does it mean?
Why does Jack survive? What helps him "get over it", whilst Sack doesn't? What do you think builds a child’s resilience to bullying?
How did you deal with the violence and abuse while in boarding school, from both teachers and students?
How did you stay mentally strong throughout your boarding school years?
What were the main differences between life in a boarding school and life at home?
How do you think you would cope with bullying today?
How has your old school responded to the book?
How many friends from school have you kept in contact with?
Were you as strongly religious as Jack Muir was portrayed in the book? If so, are your beliefs still as strong?
Your novel is written in the first person, but does not include quotation marks. What was your reason for writing it like this?
How old were you when you started writing?
What sort of books did you read when you were in high school?
There does not seem to be much outer world detail in your writing. Why did you write it like this?
Have your family read the book and if so, how did they respond?
Why aren’t there any big words and lots of long sentences? Does this mean it is not literature?
Are the characters in the book based on people in your life?
How many rejection slips did you get before it was accepted by Fremantle Press?
How many drafts did you write before you sent the book to the publisher?
Did you do well in high school?
Looking back, what do you think were the major lessons you learnt in high school?
Did you have a lot of fights in high school and, if so, how many did you lose?
How many of the incidents in the book really happened?
Have you ever been in therapy?
Do you regret anything about your life, or how you have lived it?
Are you writing another book?
Do you enjoy talking about Boy on a Wire?
