Book Riot Podcast: Markus Zusak on THE BOOK THIEF at 20

Date: March 11, 2026
Host: Kelly Jensen (Book Riot Senior Editor)
Guest: Markus Zusak (Author of The Book Thief)

Episode Overview

This special edition Book Riot podcast commemorates the 20th anniversary of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief—a YA historical fiction novel that has become a global classic, beloved by both teens and adults. Senior editor Kelly Jensen interviews Zusak during his US book tour, discussing the book’s origins, enduring relevance, influence on YA literature, themes of death and censorship, and his reflections on its long-term impact.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Markus Zusak’s Own Pitch for The Book Thief

(03:32 - 05:41)

• Zusak shares the long-running challenge of summarizing his book:

  “I imagined…other people pitching it to their friends…‘It’s set in Nazi Germany. It’s narrated by Death. Nearly everybody dies. Oh, and it’s 560 pages long. You’ll love it.’” (03:56 - 04:13)

• Ultimately, he frames the story as an act of resistance and reclamation:

  “Hitler destroyed people with words. And this is a book about…a girl who steals the words back and writes her own story with them. And hopefully it’s a beautiful story written amongst the ugliness of that world.” (05:09 - 05:27)

2. The Book Thief’s Enduring Meaning in 2026

(06:34 - 09:22)

• Changes in world politics have shifted how readers approach the book:

  “There was an element…a real sense of looking back…Whereas now…you could just be looking around where you’ve got a world that’s swung back towards that sort of thing with autocratic power and misuse of power.” (06:49 - 07:02)

• Zusak stresses his intent was always about character and story, not overt political messaging—yet the book now feels increasingly relevant:

  “Humanity…it just never…it just doesn’t stop. …We’re always walking this line, whether it is in times of peace or times of great upheaval…” (08:23 - 08:37)

3. The Book’s Place in Young Adult Literature

(09:47 - 14:14)

• Zusak reflects on his early writing experiences and how he avoided following trends:

  “I didn’t want to do [be] an adult trying to mimic…the way teenagers speak… I wanted my characters to talk a certain way that was their way…” (10:31 - 10:46)

• On The Book Thief’s classification as YA:

  “To me… it was a book that was saying, okay, yeah, this is for you, but you’ve got to come up here to read it a little bit…just themes that were a little out of the realm of the everyday teenager.” (11:34 - 11:48)

• Writing advice:

  “You can only write so much like yourself so that no one else could have written that book, you know, and that is always the goal.” (12:16 - 12:26)

• Acceptance of the book’s place:

  “You have to sort of settle for that. …The Book Thief is just what it is now and wherever it settles into a spot…you sort of hope that…it’ll find its own reason for being there.” (13:18 - 13:44)

4. Death as a Character and a Theme

(14:14 - 17:32)

• How readers react to death’s portrayal:

  “Sometimes somebody will come up to me…‘Because of your death that you portrayed, I’m not scared of dying anymore.’ …I’m really happy for you because I’m still just terrified of dying.” (15:01 - 15:17)

• On changing cultural perceptions of death and the declining role of religion:

  “There’s more of a gray area maybe, in people’s minds…One of the joys of writing the book was playing with the idea that death is, like, the missing piece of us.” (16:14 - 16:44)

• Death gives value to life:

  “Knowing that we’re not going to be here forever is what puts a value on all of our experiences.” (16:48 - 16:54)

5. Words, Stories & Book Censorship

(20:40 - 24:18)

• How the theme of book burning emerged in the novel’s creation:

  “When I was beginning to write the Book Thief, originally, there wasn’t going to be a book burning…Then I can’t remember…it must have…Then [I] immediately thought, oh, that’s a good image of her putting the book under her shirt or dress…she could feel it burning her a little bit…” (20:57 - 21:38)

• The sacredness of stories and the danger of censorship:

  “Stories are actually what we’re made of. And then when you have people wanting to control that story…they’re wanting to control us…what that does…is taking away the ability for us to listen to each other…” (22:21 - 23:01)

  • On novels:

    “…you get to see the world in a way that…is totally foreign to you, and yet you can place yourself in it. And for that to be taken away for whatever reason…It’s robbing people of understanding other people.” (23:20 - 23:45)

6. Surprises and Pride Over 20 Years

(24:51 - 26:45)

• The biggest reward and surprise: readers' love.

  “The greatest gift has just been…readers…You get going there and you’re just thinking, who’s going to show up…then there’s this great collection of people there. …When someone comes up to you and they say, I love this book, or they say, oh, this is my favorite book…that never…I could never get tired of hearing that.” (25:01 - 25:47)

• Finding meaning in writer-reader connection:

  “…What made me want to be a writer was being 14 years old and staying up all night to finish S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. …Black words on a white page, but I was seeing it in color, and I was there. I was inside those pages. …That’s the greatest. And yeah, you know, and I realize what a privilege that is.” (27:23 - 28:20)

7. Favorite Historical Fiction Recommendations

(28:58 - 30:05)

• Zusak recommends Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl:

  “The beginning and the end is, for me, is the Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank…because it’s such a heartfelt rendering of everyday life and, and, and just that idea of the person like something so personal. …If there was one that…people should read…especially it being a firsthand account, I think that makes it all the more, all the more powerful.” (29:03 - 29:54)

Notable Quotes

• “In Nazi Germany, Hitler destroyed people with words. And this is a book about…a girl who steals the words back and writes her own story with them.” — Markus Zusak (05:09)
• “You can only write so much like yourself so that no one else could have written that book, you know, and that is always the goal.” — Markus Zusak (12:16)
• “Sometimes somebody will come up to me…‘Because of your death that you portrayed, I’m not scared of dying anymore.’ …I’m really happy for you because I’m still just terrified of dying.” — Markus Zusak (15:01)
• “Stories are actually what we’re made of. …When you have people wanting to control that story…they’re wanting to control us.” — Markus Zusak (22:21)
• “The greatest gift has just been…readers…When someone comes up to you and they say, I love this book…that never…I could never get tired of hearing that.” — Markus Zusak (25:01)

Important Timestamps

• 03:32 – Zusak’s personal pitch for The Book Thief
• 06:34 – How the book’s meaning has shifted in a changing world
• 09:47 – Reflections on YA literature and writing with authenticity
• 14:14 – Discussion about the portrayal and cultural meaning of death
• 20:40 – Censorship, the power of stories, and book burning
• 24:51 – Most surprising/proud moments from two decades of The Book Thief
• 28:58 – Historical fiction recommendation: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Memorable Moments

• Zusak humorously acknowledges the odd pitch of his book: “It’s narrated by Death. Nearly everybody dies. Oh, and it’s 560 pages long. You’ll love it.” (04:07)
• On the double-edged nature of reader honesty: “You even love the ones who come up to you and say, ‘yeah, that book…congratulations…going great. I just couldn’t get into it.’” (26:20)
• The magic of reading as a teen: “Black words on a white page, but I was seeing it in color, and I was there. …That’s…pure magic, like real magic.” (27:23 - 28:03)

Overall Tone

The conversation is open, reflective, and warm, with Zusak’s candor matched by Kelly Jensen’s thoughtful, informed questions.

Conclusion

This milestone interview offers both long-time and new fans deep insight into the origins, evolution, and resonance of The Book Thief. Zusak’s reflections on storytelling, censorship, and his personal artistic journey underscore why the novel continues to span generations and inspire passionate engagement in a changing world.