Late Manchester Professor Martin Amis Makes Oscars History
The Zone of Interest, adapted from the novel by the late Professor Martin Amis of the University of Manchester, has made waves at the Oscars by becoming the first British film to clinch the title of ‘Best International Film’.
Directed by Jonathan Glazer, this UK/Poland collaboration delves into the daily life of Nazi Commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig as they work on constructing their dream home next to Auschwitz. The movie, filmed in German, also took home the award for ‘Best Sound’, beating out the popular favourite ‘Oppenheimer’.
Amis, who joined the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester in 2007, is renowned for his London Trilogy and was recognised by The Times as one of the top 50 British novelists of the late 20th Century. His teaching career at the university came to an end in 2011, and he sadly passed away from cancer in May 2023 at the age of 73.
Published in 2014, Martin’s novel The Zone of Interest was his fourteenth to hit the shelves. The award-winning film adaptation of the same name takes a looser approach to the source material.
