The author John Boyne is wrong to pander to trans activists

You may not have heard of John Boyne, but you’ll almost certainly have come across his most famous book, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. A children’s novel about two boys meeting through the barbed wire of Auschwitz, the book was met with heavy criticism for its historical inaccuracies – none of which stopped it selling a staggering five million copies worldwide and being turned into a Hollywood film. But this week Boyne has been floored by a far tougher foe than a few grumbling historians: he’s incurred the wrath of the gender police.

Boyne’s new book, My Brother’s Name is Jessica, is about a teenage boy who comes out as a trans girl. Aimed at young adults, the novel is narrated by the child’s 12-year old brother, and is designed to be a warm and sympathetic account of what it feels like to grow up transgender. Boyne talked to a number of trans people for his research, and no doubt expected his efforts to be garlanded with praise from a grateful trans community.