| Birdy | |
| Author: | William Wharton |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Publisher: | Knopf |
| Pub Date: | December 1978 |
| Media Type: | Print & Audio |
| Pages: | 309 |
| Isbn: | 978-0-394-42569-6 |
Birdy is the debut novel of William Wharton, who was more than 50 years old when it was published. It won the U.S. National Book Award in category First Novel.[1] Birdy was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1980,[2] ultimately losing to The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer.[3]
Birdy was adapted as a film of the same name, directed by Alan Parker and starring Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage.
The novel has said to have been a lyrical influence on the song "The King of Birds" by American alternative rock band R.E.M.[4]
Naomi Wallace, a poet and playwright, adapted Birdy for the stage in 1997.