To my writing spirit – thank you for leading Ruby, Luke, Destiny and Lilli to me. It’s been heartbreaking, but an honour, to write their story.
Finally and most importantly – I read many books on the Holocaust while I was writing I Am Not A Number. Each one seared me in a way that I hope will never diminish: I Have Lived A Thousand Years, by Livia Bitton-Jackson; Freedom and Justice, by Zbigniew Drecki; Charlotte, by David Foenkinos; If This Is A Woman, by Sarah Helm; If This Is A Man, by Primo Levi; Night, by Elie Wiesel. They had the courage to write, so that we will never forget.
Also by Lisa Heathfield
Seed
Paper Butterflies
Flight of a Starling
Lisa Heathfield’s books have won numerous awards, including the North East Teen Book Award, the Southern Schools Book Award, the GDST Award, the Fabulous Book Award and the Concorde Book Award. She’s also been shortlisted for several awards including the Waterstones Children’s Prize (twice), the YA Prize and the Virginia Reader’s choice award. Her books are sold across the world.
Praise for Lisa Heathfield’s other books
SEED
‘Compelling and exciting . . . I would give it 5 stars’
Guardian Children’s Books review
‘We are obsessed with Seed. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever read before’ YA Love Magazine
‘If you want a gripping and heart-stopping read that will pull at your heart strings then this is the book for you’ Lovereading.co.uk review
Seed was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2016
PAPER BUTTERFLIES
‘A harrowing account of abuse, retaliation and love against the odds . . . readers feeling tough enough to traverse Heathfield’s dark places will find transporting joy in her interludes of sunlight’ The Guardian
‘Readers hoping for a sweet love story will be more than a little shocked by the swerve the plot takes, and Paper Butterflies is all the better for it’ The Irish Times
‘A battle of fear and hope, truth and lies – I loved this book with every piece of my shattered heart’
Kate Ormand, blogger and YA author
Paper Butterflies was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2017
FLIGHT OF A STARLING
‘With delicate language, Heathfield parallels the illusions that create circus magic with hints at sexual identity, a mother’s betrayal, and a grandfather’s grief, tenderly painting a world clinging to its storied past. Prejudices on both sides of the big top add another thoughtful layer to this gem of a novel, one that is sure to be savored.’
Kirkus Review
I am Not A Number Page 25