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A much-loved cult classic book is finally getting a sequel

A welcome return for one of the most gloriously depraved characters ever

A much-loved cult classic book is finally getting a sequel
Tom Victor
21 September 2017

When it comes to cult classic novels, John Niven’s debut Kill Your Friends is right up there.

Published in 2008, the book captures the ridiculousness and excess of the music industry in the Britpop era and its eventual demise, and has created a cult favourite in the form of the dastardly lead character Steven Stelfox who stopped at precisely nothing to advance himself.

Kill Your Friends gained itself a number of high-profile fans, which earned Niven the opportunity to take his creation to the big screen with Nick Hoult in the lead role.

And now, having written the screenplay for the 2015 thriller based on his book, Niven is getting back to work with a sequel.

According to The Bookseller, the sequel – called Kill ‘Em All – transports Stelfox to Brexit Britain.

William Heinemann, who published the original after what Niven has described as “17 rejection letters”, are back on board for the upcoming release.

“Next year sees ten years since Kill Your Friends was published and I liked the symmetry of setting the sequel in 2017 – exactly 20 years after setting of the first book,” Niven explained.

The Ayrshire-born novelist has put out several other novels in the intervening period, including 2013 satire Straight White Male and 2015’s The Sunshine Cruise Company.

Kill ‘Em All is set for an autumn 2018 hardback release, with the paperback edition due out the following year.

(Main image: StudioCanal)