‘The Tightrope Walkers’ is the second book for adults by UEA alumnus David Almond and has recently been published by Penguin. David (pictured) graduated from UEA with a BA in English and American Studies in 1973 and published ‘Sleepless Nights’, his first novel for children, in 1985. Among his numerous other titles for children, ‘Skellig’, was published in 1998 and won that year’s Carnegie medal and the Whitbread children’s prize. ‘Kit’s Wilderness’, published in 1999, was the winner of the Smarties Award Silver Medal and was shortlisted for the Guardian Award. ‘The Fire-Eaters’, published in 2003, was the winner of the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Gold Award and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. His first novel for adults, ‘The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean’, was published in 2011.