Overview

Albert Black, known as the 'jukebox killer', was only 20 when he was convicted of murdering another young man in a fight at a milk bar in Auckland on 26 July 1955. His crime fuelled growing moral panic about teenagers, and he was to hang less than five months later, the second-to-last person to be executed in New Zealand. But what really happened? Was this a love crime, was it a sign of juvenile delinquency? Or was this dark episode in our recent history more about our society's reaction to outsiders? Black's final words, as the hangman covered his head, were, 'I wish you all a merry Christmas, gentlemen, and a prosperous New Year.' This is his story.

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9781489482280

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'A beautiful writer.' -- The Times 'This is an important book which reminds us of the fragility of youth and how devastatingly lives can be altered by a moment's action.' -- The Australian Women's Weekly

'A beautiful writer.' -- The Times 'This is an important book which reminds us of the fragility of youth and how devastatingly lives can be altered by a moment’s action.' -- The Australian Women's Weekly

Author Information

Fiona Kidman has published over 30 books, including novels, poetry, non-fiction and a play. She has worked as a librarian, creative writing teacher, radio producer and critic, and as a scriptwriter for radio, television and film, but primarily as a writer. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships; in more recent years The Captive Wife was runner-up for the Deutz Medal for Fiction and was joint-winner of the Readers' Choice Award in the 2006 Montana New Zealand Book Awards, and her short story collection The Trouble With Fire was shortlisted for both the NZ Post Book Awards and the Frank O'Connor Award. She was created a Dame (DNZM) in 1998 in recognition of her contribution to literature, and more recently a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour. ‘We cannot talk about writing in New Zealand without acknowledging her,' wrote New Zealand Books. ‘Kidman's accessible prose and the way she shows (mainly) women grappling to escape from restricting social pressures has guaranteed her a permanent place in our fiction.' Simon London is a New Zealand born actor, writer and director and has worked extensively in theatre, film and television in New Zealand, Australia and the UK for almost 20 years. His training has included studies with The Old Vic New Voices, Complicite, The Actors Centre, Actors' Temple, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Shakespeare’s Globe. He is now based in Sydney, Australia.

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