Out of Shadows

'If I stood you in front of a man, pressed a gun into your palm and told you to squeeze the trigger, would you do it?' 'No, sir, no way!' 'What if I then told you we'd gone back in time and his name was Adolf Hitler? Would you do it then?' Zimbabwe, 1980s. The fighting has stopped, independence has been won and Robert Mugabe has come to power offering the end of the Old Way and promising hope for black Africans. For Robert Jacklin, it's all new- new continent, new country, new school. And very quickly he learns that for some of his white classmates, the sound of guns is still loud, and their battles rage on. Boys like Ivan. Clever, cunning Ivan. He wants things back to how they were, and he's taking his fight to the very top. Winner of the Costa, the UKLA and the Branford Boase Awards

Winner of BRANFORD BOASE 2011 (UK)
Winner of UKLA Book Award 2011 (UK)
Winner of Costa Book Award (UK).
Short-listed for CILIP Carnegie Medal 2011 (UK)
Short-listed for Book Trust Teenage Prize (UK).

"A stunning debut novel without a false note. Accomplished and powerful, it changes the way you think." Costa Book Award
"(Jason Wallace's) bleak, ferocious debut is a powerful, devastating read for older teens." -- Patrick Ness Guardian
"(Out of Shadows is) a provocative story, powerfully written. Some may find the themes difficult, the climax shocking, but Wallace has produced a first novel where all the heat and intensity of an African nation in flux burns on every page. He's a definitely a writer to watch in the future." -- Keith Gray The Scotsman
"Classic crossover fiction...(Wallace's) unblinking portrait of true evil raises it above the norm... It's something that schools should study and readers read. Bravo! " -- Amanda Craig The Times
"In its portrayal of race relations in a wounded country as well as of the ugly power dynamics of a community of adolescent boys, this novel excels, bringing readers up to the grim, uncertain present with mastery." Kirkus, Starred Review
"An extraordinary coming-of-age novel . . . a startlingly original debut . . . Charting the change from childhood to adulthood against growing political discord gives the novel a sense of urgency, and the book's intensity, drama and pace leaves a lasting impact." -- Jake Hope Bookseller's choice, The Bookseller

Jason Wallace was born in Cheltenham in 1969 but moved to London after his parents split up. Aged 12 his life was turned upside down when his mother remarried and the family emigrated to Zimbabwe. It was this experience in a tough boarding school during the aftermath of the war for independence that forms the foundation of his incredible novel. And he did actually meet Robert Mugabe when he visited his school. Jason is currently a web designer, living in South West London.

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