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.
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. 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. 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.
It is also available in Spanish, German and Italian.

Reception

The book was very well received, with positive reviews for both the text and art. It won awards for the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book, the IRA/CBC Children's Choice award and the British Science Fiction Association award for Short Fiction.

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, and premiered at the Tramway in Glasgow in March 2006, before touring the UK for the rest of the year, winning TMA Best Show for Children and Young People for 2006. In October 2007 it was staged in New York, off Broadway at the New Victory Theater, for a two-week run. The production was very well received.