Former journalist and teacher Jem Lester's debut novel Shtum is released April 7 2016 by Orion.

Already creating a buzz among book bloggers and on Goodreads, Shtum tells the story of the touching and often funny relationship between profoundly autistic Jonah and his father Ben after they're forced to move in with his grandfather. Tackling the trials, triumphs and 'everyday slog' of life with a child with learning difficulties, Shtum is a warm book that follows in the footsteps of smash hits The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time and The Shock of the Fall. Lester, who has an autistic son, honed his novel on an MA course at City University, where he won the prestigious PFD/City University Prize. He said that in writing this novel 'I wanted to dismantle the stereotype of the "gifted" autistic child but at the same time I thought it imperative that the joy and humour of these wonderful, innocent children was recognised and celebrated'. Judging from its rave reviews and readers' heartfelt responses, he's succeeded - this debut is sure to be a big hit in 2016.