By Richard Kurti (author)
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Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2014 - May 2013 Debut of the Month A thrilling debut novel explores tribal behaviour and the dangerous consequences of it in an action packed story of two competing monkey tribes. A troop of aggressive Langur monkeys make a savage raid on the Rhesus monkeys killing them mercilessly.
For one young Langur, the brutality is a step too far. Mico is appalled by the violence and steps in to help the surviving Rhesus. But crossing the tribal line is a dangerous act. What seemed like the right action to Mico sets him at odds with his own corrupt leadership and the secrets they are so keen to defend. His fight for survival is tense and compelling.
This title is a remarkable and unflinching examination of the politics of power. When the Langur monkey troop rises to power on the dusty streets of Calcutta, it is at a price. A brutal massacre drives the Rhesus troop out of the place they called home and forces them to embark on a dangerous journey.
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But one Langur monkey, Mico, is prepared to stand up to the tyrannical Langur regime and fight for truth, friendship and love. As Mico uncovers the secrets and lies at the heart of the corrupt Langur leadership, he quickly realizes he is playing a dangerous game. And when monkeys turn on each other, there can be no survivors...
“Strikingly original” – Anthony Horowitz
As a child I grew up in Harlow, Essex, where I spent a lot of time climbing trees, building Lego, playing football and mooching with friends. After seeing Steven Spielberg’s first film, Duel, I became a movie fanatic, watching everything from German New Wave to American blockbusters, and dreaming of becoming a film director. Somewhere along the line I started working insanely hard at school to try and get good enough grades to get to University.
As an adult I studied Philosophy & English at Cambridge University, which was a completely mind-expanding experience. After graduating, I trained at the BBC as a TV sound recordist, working on everything from Blue Peter to the Barcelona Olympics. In the meantime, I started directing short films and documentaries, and this led on to scriptwriting… which soon turned into a full time job. I have written screenplays for Hollywood studios, as well as TV shows like Robin Hood, Primeval and Sinbad, and am currently developing a TV series of the Quatermain books. Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to write a novel; one day I decided to stop dreaming and start doing something about it. Because I had to fit the novel in around my screenwriting, I started getting up an hour earlier every day… I bought a tiny laptop that stayed with me all the time, so that every spare minute could be used for writing … three years later Monkey Wars was finished.
As a writer I will write anywhere that I can set up my laptop and put on a pair of headphones! When I’m out and about, Costa Coffee is my favourite place to write – you can make a cappuccino and some biscuits last for two hours and no-one throws you out. Trains are another great place to write, especially one hour journeys – just enough time to get a couple of pages done, not so long that you get bogged down. At home I’ve got a room set aside just for writing – all my notes and dictionaries are laid out, so I can just dive straight in. Before I submit a draft, I always like to read it out loud to myself. I’ve read bedtime stories to my son ever since he was 6 months old, and I think hearing words said out loud can alert you to things you miss when you read silently in your mind.
Things you didn’t know about Richard Kurti
1. I love riding water slides – the steeper the better.
2. I hate wearing ties.
3. I always listen to music when I write.
4. My fingers are double-jointed, so I can do some weird things with them.
5. I refuse to buy an Apple MAC – long live the PC!
6. Toast and Marmite is my favourite food.
7. I suffer from formophobia (fear of filling in forms).
8. I love skiing, and wish I’d started doing it 20 years ago.
9. I will do (almost) anything for chocolate.
10. One day I would like to build a clock.
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This title is a remarkable and unflinching examination of the politics of power. When the Langur monkey troop rises to power on the dusty streets of Calcutta, it is at a price.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Monkey Wars and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-14 years old
Monkey Wars features in the following genres: Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Recommendations, Debuts of the Month, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Recommended Children's eBooks, Featured Books for 11+ readers
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Monkey Wars was written by Richard Kurti and published by Walker Books Ltd
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