Children of the Sun (book)

Children of the Sun is a 1957 non-fiction book by Morris West, an investigation into the slums of post-war Naples. It was his first international success. The US title was Children of the Shadows: The True Story of the Street Urchins of Naples.

The book was a best seller in Europe and England and marked a turning point in the career of West. The Sydney Morning Herald said "with this work, West not only found his way as a writer but discovered the theme that would underpin almost all of his subsequent books — the nature and misuse of power. Of the 18 novels he was to write post-1957, 15 are on this subject."

Background
West researched the book over six months in Naples, meeting Father Borrelli who worked with the street boys of Naples.

TV Adaptation
In 1959 it was announced the show would be adapted for the Australian anthology series Shell Presents.

It was adapted for ITV anthology television series ITV Television Playhouse in 1961.