Calling all film buffs: behind the scenes of Christopher Edge's new novel

April 22nd 2024

Whether it's in the pages of a book or on the silver screen, well-told stories can capture and inspire children's imaginations. TV and film adaptions of books  - and book adaptions of TV and film -  can provide an accessible and familiar way in to reading for children. It can also add an extra layer to book talk amongst peers through comparison between text and screen.

One such lover of books and cinema is the award-winning children's author, Christopher Edge. His latest release, Black Hole Cinema Club, is a rollercoaster-ride and homage to popular film plots. On our blog, Christopher takes you behind the scenes of his sci-fi adventure, and explains why young readers should immerse themselves into the worlds of both books and cinema.

About Christopher Edge Christopher Edge grew up in Manchester, and now lives in Gloucestershire. He enjoys spending time in his local library to find inspiration for new stories. Christopher has won the STEAM Children’s Book Prize and the Brilliant Book Award, and has been nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. DISCOVER CHRISTOPHER's books

Childhood memories of cinema

Ever wished you could live your favourite movie? When I was growing up, I remember watching Back to the Future and wishing I could drive a time-travelling DeLorean like Marty McFly. And when I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, I dreamed of becoming Indiana Jones, finding lost treasures in exotic locations. Every time I visited the cinema, a new adventure would beckon me with a promise of a life more exciting than my own.

Everyone should experience the cinematic journey

It’s the immersive experience of movie-going that makes you feel that this could be a possibility. There’s something magical about sitting in the dark, surrounded by a cinema audience, but feeling as if the story that’s being told on the screen is just for you.

Films can transport us to different places and times, taking us to brand new worlds and letting us see the world through other people’s eyes.

Movies move us, unlocking our emotions with a single line of dialogue, a camera shot, a cut or even a sawing note on the film soundtrack. Joy. Wonder. Excitement. Fear. They stimulate our imagination and let us explore what it means to be alive. 

	📚 FILM & TV TIE-INs for primary		📚 FILM & TV TIE-INS FOR SECONDARY

Behind the pages of Black Hole Cinema Club

With Black Hole Cinema Club, I wanted to write a novel that was as immersive as any blockbuster movie.

It’s a story about five friends – Lucas, Ash, Finn, Maya and Caitlin – who meet at their local cinema, nicknamed the Black Hole. They’re there to watch a movie marathon – the Black Hole Cinema Club – but when a jet-black tidal wave comes crashing out of the cinema screen, it sweeps them into an epic adventure like no other.

From spy movies to sci-fi films, jungle adventures to monster movies, Lucas and his friends find themselves living their movie marathon for real. I wanted to take the readers of Black Hole Cinema Club on a cinematic rollercoaster ride with action and excitement galore, mind-blowing twists and turns, and cliffhanger scenes and surprises.

Film's influence and inspiration

If I had to list the movies that helped to inspire Black Hole Cinema Club, I’d be here all day as I’ve poured my lifelong love of cinema into this story. Just like a special edition of a movie on blu-ray or DVD, you’ll find lots of ‘Easter eggs’ hidden inside the story.

I wanted to pay homage to many of the films that I loved growing up, but also share the excitement I found in these movies for readers who won't necessarily have seen them, so I really hope Black Hole Cinema Club might ignite a love of cinema amongst younger readers, as well as giving any adults who might be sharing the story with them a Proustian popcorn rush of nostalgia too!

When we step inside a cinema, we escape from the world, but so often the movies we watch show us heroes who are trying to save the world and they show us why it’s a world worth saving. Stories live in so many places, from the cinema screen to the shelves of a library. These are stories that can help us to make sense of the world, provide an escape from it, and remind us that we all have the power to save the day.

Black Hole Cinema Club When Lucas meets his friends at the local cinema - nicknamed 'The Black Hole' - they're excited about the movie marathon ahead. Non-stop action, blockbuster special effects and all the snacks they can eat. But as the lights go down, Lucas, Ash, Maya, Caitlin and Finn watch in disbelief as a jet-black tidal wave comes crashing out of the cinema screen and the five friends find themselves swept into an epic adventure. £5.91   Save 26% This title is in our class reads offer! Buy 15 or more copies and get 38% off the RRP. DISCOVER