On the Bright Side

The new diary from one of literature's most beloved octogenarians.

On The Bright Side picks up where The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen left off, at the care home of the anarchic Old-But-Not-Dead Club where Hendrik and his friends are determined to enjoy their autumn years full of optimism. Written with his characteristic charm and humour Hendrik proves, yet again, that age is simply a number.

Very funny Financial Times Hendrik pens an expose of his care home, sets up the Old-But-Not-Dead club and relishes the arrival of a new female resident. This geriatric Adrian Mole made me laugh and think. Terrific -- Fanny Blake Woman and Home A funny but also touching diary praised for its wit and realism BBC Radio 4 Front Row A story with a great deal of heart, it pulled me in with its self-deprecating humour, finely drawn characters and important themes. Anyone who hopes to grow old with dignity will have much to reflect on -- Graeme Simsion So much more than just a comedy. It's a story about how friendship, selflessness and dignity lie at the heart of the human experience. When I'm an old man, I want to be Hendrik Groen. -- John Boyne I laughed until I cried and then laughed and cried some more -- David Suchet Terrific. This geriatric Adrian Mole made me laugh -- Fanny Blake Woman and Home Very funny -- Jeremy Paxman Financial Times Praise for The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 831/4 Years Old - A joy to read, as much concerned with friendship and dignity as it is with the debilitating effects of aging ... An entertaining and uplifting story of a man in the winter of his days, stoic in the face of bureaucratic nonsense and an unabashed need to wear a nappy. Imagined or not, this is the diary of someone who wants nothing more than to be allowed see out his days with dignity and respect. It's not too much to ask, really, is it? -- John Boyne Irish Times Highly entertaining ... a delightful and touching saga of one man's way of coping with old age ... we may assume that Hendrik Groen is a character of fiction. But it is a fiction so closely based on the observation of real life that it is utterly convincing Daily Express There are many laughs in this book but it's so much more than just a comedy. It's a story about how friendship, selflessness and dignity lie at the heart of the human experience. When I'm an old man, I want to be Hendrik Groen -- John Boyne Amusing [and] wickedly accurate ... I was constantly put in mind of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, another comi-tragedy concerning the tyranny of institutions of the unwanted. Enjoy Groen's light touch but do not be fooled by it. We live in an ageing society. The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen is a handbook of resistance for our time -- **** FIVE STARS Sunday Express A story with a great deal of heart, it pulled me in with its self-deprecating humour, finely drawn characters and important themes. Anyone who hopes to grow old with dignity will have much to reflect on -- Graeme Simsion Full of off-beat charm and quirky characters -- Cathy Rentzenbrink Stylist Thoughtful, anxious and gruff... Laced with humour -- Best New Fiction Mail on Sunday * I laughed until I cried and then laughed and cried some more -- David Suchet

Hendrik Groen started his diaries on the literary website of Torpedo magazine. He says about his work- 'There's not one sentence that's a lie, but not every word is true.' His first diary, the international bestseller The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old has been translated into over thirty languages and is being adapted for television. His second diary went straight to number 1 in the Netherlands. He is currently working on a standalone novel.

Hester Velmans is the author of two popular children's novels and a translator specializing in modern fiction. Her translation of Renate Dorrestein's A Heart of Stone won the Vondel Prize for Translation and was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. Her translation of Lulu Wang's The Lily Theater was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

Her children's book Isabel of the Whales now has a sibling- the second in the Whales Series, Jessaloup's Song (age 10 and up).

The new diary from one of literature's most beloved octogenarians. On The Bright Side picks up where The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen left off, at the care home of the anarchic Old-But-Not-Dead Club where Hendrik and his friends are determined to enjoy their autumn years full of optimism. Written with his characteristic charm and humour Hendrik proves, yet again, that age is simply a number.

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