'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' Has Sold over the 1 Million Copies in the UK

Heather Morris’ The Tattooist of Auschwitz was first published in January of 2018 and quickly became an international No. 1 bestseller and was critically acclaimed by reviewers. The book tells the story of a real man named Lale Sokolov who, as a Jewish man, was imprisoned in Auschwitz during World War II. While there, he was assigned the position of the camp’s ‘tatowierer’ and tattooed the prisoners who arrived.

As The Bookseller reports, the book’s popularity has seen it pass the 1 million milestone in terms of copies sold in the UK alone, in just under two years. It has sold approximately 1,006,897 copies via Nielsen BookScan’s TCM and has grossed over £6.1m. When combined with overseas sales, The Tattooist of Auschwitz has sold an excess of three million copies.

The book’s sequel, Cilka’s Journey, was published earlier this month and s also enjoy a strong response from readers and critics. It tells the true story of Cilka Klein, who Sokolov called “the bravest person I ever met.”

The book’s author said: “I am truly overwhelmed and humbled that The Tattooist of Auschwitz has sold so incredibly well in the UK. To have sold a million copies is testament to the incredible man that was Lale Sokolov. Each one of us has been touched by his resilience, passion and love for his wife Gita. I am grateful to all my readers, thank you, and also to the team at Bonnier Books UK for their amazing efforts in championing The Tattooist of Auschwitz.”

Kate Parkin, m.d. of Bonnier Books UK, added: “We are immensely proud to publish Heather Morris and The Tattooist of Auschwitz – an extraordinarily special book that has captured the hearts of the readers in the UK and worldwide. Congratulations to Heather and to everyone who has contributed to this success.”