What the judges’ said: It reads as if it must have happened to the author; a book that will expand horizons and counter narrowmindedness
Flynn is one of the top pianists at the Royal College of Music. On the outside, everything is good for him; on the inside it is not. Some days his head of full of compositions and he feels as if he could fly; others he can hardly get out of bed. How Flynn faces up to his despair is told in a thoughtful story that is deeply moving without being depressing.
Life as a student is good for Flynn. As one of the top pianists at the Royal College of Music, he has been put forward for an important concert, the opportunity of a lifetime. But beneath the surface, things are changing. On a good day, he feels full of energy and life, but on a bad day being alive is worse than being dead.
Tabitha Suzuma was born in 1975 and lives in London. She has always loved writing and would regularly get into trouble at the French Lycée for writing stories instead of listening in class. She used to work as a primary school teacher and now divides her time between writing and tutoring. A Note of Madness is her first novel. The story was inspired by her sixteen-year-old brother Shin, a fantastic pianist (and talented beatboxer), and her sister Thalia who has suffered from depression. She has just started on her third novel and is planning to write many more.
