Scholastic signs 'incredible' autobiography from Holocaust survivor Lantos

Scholastic UK has signed The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Die, the autobiographical story of Professor Peter Lantos, one of the last in his generation of Holocaust survivors. 

Elizabeth Scoggins, non-fiction, brands and licensing publisher, acquired world rights directly from the author. The book will be published in January 2023 ahead of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust on 27th January. 

Lantos is a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, having been a renowned clinical neuroscientist. In 2020 he was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Holocaust education and awareness. 

The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Die is written for readers aged 10 and over, telling the story of Lantos’ life from age six and his journey through war-torn Europe. The publisher wrote: "What first appears to be an exciting train journey for Peter becomes a horror, passing through Austria and Germany before becoming prisoner 8431 in the notorious Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Liberated after the war, this is a story of survival, of love between mother and son, and of enduring hope in the face of unspeakable hardship." 

Scoggins commented: "It is a true honour to publish Peter’s first book for children. The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Die is a powerful and important story, and I am thrilled to be able to help Peter share it with the world. His first-hand account gives a true child’s-eye view of all he experienced as a young boy, and I am sure that it will have a special impact on everyone who reads it." 

Lantos said: "This is the story of my extraordinary journey, as a young boy, into the unknown. Forced to leave our home, we travelled across war-torn Europe. As the journey progressed, the promise of an exciting adventure turned into a nightmare of brutality, starvation and death. Yet, this is also a story of devotion, love and survival—and the unbreakable bond which had developed between mother and son. Only a decade later, when I was a teenager, did I realise that our journey was part of the Holocaust."