The Wolves in the Walls

The Wolves in the Walls is a book by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, published in 2003, in the United States by HarperCollins, and in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury. The book was highly praised on release, winning three awards for that year. In 2006, it was made into a musical which toured the UK and visited the US in 2007.^[1]

The Wolves in the Walls

Author	Neil Gaiman
Illustrator	Dave McKean
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Children's
Publisher	HarperCollins
Publication date	5 August 2003
Media type	Hardcover
Pages	56
ISBN	0-380-97827-X

Neil Gaiman has said the story was inspired by a nightmare his daughter Maddy, then aged 4, had that there were wolves in the walls.^[1][2] In the story the protagonist, Lucy, hears wolves in the walls of her family's house, but her family does not believe her until one day when the wolves come out of the walls.^[2] The book is notable for Dave McKean's art, which utilises many different techniques, including photography, computer-generated imagery and drawing to achieve its effect.^[3]

It is also available in Spanish,^[4][5] German^[6] and Italian.^[7]

Reception

The book was very well received, with positive reviews for both the text and art.^{[3][8][9][10]} It won awards for the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book (2003),^[11] the IRA/CBC Children's Choice (2004) award^[12] and the British Science Fiction Association award for Short Fiction (2003).^[13]

Adaptations

Stage adaptation

In 2006 The Wolves in the Walls was adapted for stage, as a "Musical Pandemonium" of the same name, with music by Nick Powell to which Neil Gaiman contributed some lyrics. It was co-produced by the National Theatre of Scotland and Improbable theatre,^[1][14] and premiered at the Tramway in Glasgow in March,^[15][16] before touring the UK for the rest of the year, winning TMA Best Show for Children and Young People for 2006.^[17] In October 2007 it was staged in New York, off Broadway at the New Victory Theater, for a two-week run.^[18][19][20] The production was very well received.^[21][22]

VR adaptation

In January 2018, a Wolves in the Walls VR adaptation was released for Oculus Rift and Oculus Rift S headsets by Fable Studio, a venture headed by Edward Saatchi and Pete Billington and staffed by former employees of Oculus Story Studio, as its premiere title.^[23][24] The VR adaptation was well-received, and in August 2019, Wolves in the Walls won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding innovation in interactive media,^[25] and a Peabody Award in 2022. A second chapter of Wolves in the Walls, It's All Over, premiered at the April 2019 Tribeca Film Festival,^[26] and a third and final chapter, They're Everywhere, released in November of the same year.^[27][28] All three chapters were ported to Oculus Quest in November 2020.^[29] The VR adaption received a 2022 Peabody Award in the Immersive & Interactive category.^[30]

References

1. Rees, Jasper (25 March 2006). "A nightmare theatrical debut – Times Online". The Times. London. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
2. "The Wolves in the Walls – Description Details". Retrieved 27 June 2018.
3. "Review – The Wolves in the Walls – Art and Photography". Retrieved 6 February 2010.
4. "Wolves in the Walls". Retrieved 6 February 2010.
5. Gaiman, Neil (September 2006). Los lobos de la pared. Astiberri. ISBN 1-59497-222-2.
6. Gaiman, Neil; McKean, Dave (2005). Die Wölfe in den Wänden. Carlsen. ISBN 3-551-51648-0.
7. Gaiman, Neil (2003). I lupi nei muri. Mondadori. ISBN 88-04-52288-7.
8. "Review: Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman". Retrieved 6 February 2010.
9. "Kidsreads.com – THE WOLVES IN THE WALLS by Neil Gaiman". Retrieved 6 February 2010.
10. "Neil Gaiman (writer) and Dave McKean (artist), The Wolves in the Walls". Retrieved 6 February 2010.
11. "Book awards: New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book". Retrieved 6 February 2010.
12. "Children's Choices for 2004". doi:10.1598/RT.58.2.7. Retrieved 6 February 2010. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
13. . Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
14. "The Wolves in the Walls – Improbable". Retrieved 27 June 2018.
15. "The Wolves in the Walls – Times Online". The Times. London. 31 March 2006. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
16. Gardner, Lyn (31 March 2006). "The Wolves in the Walls, Tramway, Glasgow – Stage – The Guardian". London. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
17. . Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
18. "The Wolves in the Walls – Showtimes". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
19. . Archived from the original on 10 September 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
20. "National Theatre of Scotland – The Wolves in the Walls". Retrieved 6 February 2010.
21. Thielman, Sam (9 October 2007). "The Wolves in the Walls – Variety review". Retrieved 6 February 2010.
22. Van Gelder, Lawrence (12 October 2007). "The Wolves in the Walls – New York Times review". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
23. Damiani, Jesse. "Fable's 'Wolves in the Walls' Launched Lucy As A Virtual Being -- And The Implications Are Massive". Forbes. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
24. "WOLVES IN THE WALLS is the Future of VR Filmmaking". Nerdist. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
25. Roettgers, Janko (23 August 2019). "Neil Gaiman VR Experience 'Wolves in the Walls' Wins Primetime Emmy". Variety. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
26. Roettgers, Janko (25 April 2019). "Fable's Neil Gaiman VR Experience 'Wolves in the Walls' Gets Sequel at Tribeca".
27. Carlton, Bobby (7 November 2019). "The Final Chapter Of Wolves In The Walls Arrives On Oculus Headsets".
28. "Emmy-winning Fable debuts final chapter of Wolves in the Walls VR story". 7 November 2019.
29. "Wolves In The Walls Oculus Quest Release Confirmed". 7 November 2020.
30. "83rd Peabody Award Nominees".

External links

•  Children's literature portal

• LibraryThing page
• Harper Collins book information page
• Promotional video for US stage show