The Story of Julius, the Chimpanzee Caught Between Two Worlds
Vancouver, BC – Greystone Books has acquired World English Language rights to Almost Human: The Story of Julius, the Chimpanzee Caught Between Two Worlds by award-winning biographer, Alfred Fidjestøl.
Julius is a national celebrity in Norway, the inspiration behind pop hits, television programs, and best-selling books. He’s also a chimpanzee, born in captivity but raised in a zookeeper’s home after his own mother rejects him.
Julius’s new parents care for him like one of their own: they bathe him, change his diapers, comfort him when he has nightmares, and their daughters play with him. TV crews and newspapers document their charming dynamics. Julius becomes a national sensation. But soon the family must re-introduce Julius to the zoo, a challenging task that brings new learnings on primate behavior and the downsides of animal celebrity.
Publishing in the year of Julius’ fortieth birthday, Almost Human profiles an unusual chimp caught between the human and animal worlds. It also charts the transformation of Norway's most popular zoo over time: from its early days as a small operation of animals behind bars, to a fast-growing attraction coming to terms with modern views on animal rights and welfare.
Greystone Books is proud to publish Almost Human in Fall of 2019.
Alfred Fidjestøl has published several critically acclaimed biographies and history books about humans and cultural institutions. In 2014, Fidjestøl became the first non-fiction author ever to receive Gyldendal’s Hunger Award. He was awarded the Språkprisen Prize in 2017. Almost Human is his first chimpanzee biography. He lives in Norway.
Greystone Books is a trade book publisher that focuses on high quality non-fiction. Greystone is based in Vancouver, Canada, with offices in the UK and United States.