Friday, 8 August 2025
Tyger is a New York Times Bestseller!
Incredible news: Tyger is officially a bestseller in the USA! It's Number 4 in the New York Times Middle Grade Paperback list, which is absolutely astonishing to me. Huge huge thanks to all the incredible booksellers who've got behind it - and to Penguin Workshop, Tyger's amazing American publishers!!!
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I remember meeting you at a school! The young author one who said you should make a book based on the dogs perspective of Varjak Paw! You’re my favourite author!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! That's wonderful to hear - and it's wonderful to hear that you still remember that school visit! Happy writing - and happy reading!
ReplyDeleteDear SF Seid.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Ilya, and I wrote to you many years ago under the pseudonym Ivan. I live in Russia. Many years ago, I asked you for an autograph, and you sent it to me. I'm 32 now. More than 10 years have passed. A week ago, I was at home and found my old book, "Varjak Paw outlaw," and I reread it again. It's wonderful. Now I'm sad that this story is so short. I'm very happy about the success of your book, "Tiger," which, unfortunately, is not sold in Russia. But after all these years, I still hope to see the third installment of "Varjak." How many more years will it take before that happens?
Thank you so much, Ilya - that's wonderful to hear! I do still plan to write a third story about Varjak one day, but it won't be very soon - I'm still not sure when it will be, but I will definitely post about it whenever it is! In the meantime, I hope you get a chance to read Tyger one day - I think it's my best book so far!
ReplyDeleteDear SF Seid.
ReplyDeleteThat's great, I truly believe this is your best book. And I love the synopsis. Unfortunately, it's not available here, and I couldn't find it in Russian. I'll definitely read it someday.
Thank you very much - I hope there will be a Russian translation of Tyger one day!
ReplyDeleteI've accidentally picked up Tyger from the library last summer as my 7 yo son who is not really into books ...was intrigued by the cover. This was one of the best books I read in a long time (and I read a lot!). We consequently read phoenix and both Varjaks. Awesome sauce! My son doesn't read, but he is most engaged when I read your beautiful words. As a busy mom, this is gold and I thank you for offering us such delightful littérature. Can't wait for more!
ReplyDeleteChristine
Dear Christine,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your amazing message, and please thank your son for me too! That really is an incredible thing for a writer to hear. I have to be honest, I don't find writing easy - Tyger took me 9 years to write! - but all the hard work feels more than worthwhile when I hear a response like this. It will help to keep me going through the writing of my new book, which is very much connected to Tyger - I hope it won't be too much longer until it's ready to publish, but it takes as long as it takes to make a book as good as you can possibly make it, and that's always my aim, with every book. So thank you for reminding me that all the endless work will be worth it in the end!
With very best wishes,
SF Said
Dear SF Said,
ReplyDeleteI have loved your book Varjak Paw deeply since I read it in the library as a child. After I first read it, I wanted to read it again perhaps a year later but I’d forgotten the name of the book. A very kind and patient librarian helped me for quite some time figure out what a “Mesopotamian Blue” cat was and guided me to find your book again. I must’ve checked it out from the library at least thirty times after that. My mom could never figure out the allure of reading the same book more than once. I somehow always felt at home with Varjak Paw. And I have always felt that The Outlaw Varjak Paw was a perfect sequel. The two stories are complete, yet beautifully complimentary. I purchased them both when I was finally old enough, and the two books gave me a sense of familiarity and safety through university, four internships, and moving all across the U.S. for my career. I’ve just read your book Tyger, and I cried. It’s profound and beautiful. In a time where empathy is starting to be villainized here in the U.S., where some of my immediate family holds hatred in their hearts for immigrants, your book hit me with hope. Thank you for that. I will always be grateful to you for writing your books. Please know that I’m wishing you the best always from across the ocean and that your words hold great value.
Sincerely,
Kay
Dear Kay,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your amazing message. I can't tell you how much it means to hear all that - both your own journey over the years with the Varjak Paw books, and your response to Tyger right now. It's everything that a writer could dream of hearing from a reader - so thank you for letting me know. I'm in the late stages of writing a new book at the moment, one that's very much connected to Tyger, and builds on what's in that book - I hope it won't be too much longer until this new one is ready, but it always takes me many years and many drafts to get a book a right. Your message has reminded me that it's always worth all the hard work in the end to do that, so thank you again - it really means the world to me!
With very best wishes,
SF