Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black

A lyrical and dreamlike story of two brothers in conflict amidst the devastation of WWII London.

Harry Black wakes in hospital to learn that his brother Ellis has almost certainly been killed by a V2 rocket falling during a German air raid on London. In a state of wounded delirium, Harry’s mind begins to blur the distinctions between the reality of the war-torn city, the fiction of his unpublished sci-fi novel and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Driven by visions of Ellis still alive and a sense of poetic inevitability, Harry discharges himself from hospital and begins a search for his brother that will lead him deep into the city’s Underworld...

Book Features:

• An unusual and powerful story of love and loyalty that will spark discussion about the themes of war, conflict and relationship. A thrilling and accessible exploration of Blitz-time London with adult crossover appeal.

• As a novel written about two brothers by two brothers, there is also a fascinating personal story that surrounds the creation of the book.

• Stunning artwork, reproduced in two-colour printing, creates a beautiful, high-quality package.

About the Authors

Marcus Sedgwick is the author of many celebrated novels for young adults, including the Michael L Printz award winning Midwinterblood. He has also been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, the Edgar Allan Poe Award, the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and has twice been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Julian Sedgwick is the author of six books for children, including the critically-acclaimed Dark Satanic Mills, which he co-authored with his brother Marcus. The Black Dragon, the first book in Julian’s Mysterium trilogy, was the winner of the 2013 Rotherham Children’s Book Award.

About the Illustrator

Alexis Deacon is a writer and illustrator of children’s books. His first book Slow Loris, published in 2002, was in 2015 named by Time Magazine as one of the hundred best children’s books of all time. In 2008 he was chosen as one of Booktrust’s ten best new illustrators of the preceding decade.