The Academy Award’s Best Picture of the Year is now a must-read novel by Daniel Kraus.

Daniel Kraus, co-author with Guillermo del Toro of the novel “The Shape of Water,” will be speaking at a free author event called “Straight from The Oscars: Daniel Kraus,” hosted by the Santa Clarita Public Library and City of Santa Clarita, on Monday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. at The MAIN.

Daniel will be speaking about his collaboration with del Toro, the genesis of the story of a mute woman and a sea monster, the feature film, horror books, the Oscars and more. This event is free and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The MAIN is located at 24266 Main Street in Newhall.

“The Shape of Water” is an original adult novel that both mirrors and extends the story told by the feature film of the same name, which won Best Picture at the 2018 Academy Awards. Based on an original idea by del Toro and Kraus, “The Shape of Water” has been developed from the ground up as a bold, two-tiered release—one story interpreted by two artists in the independent mediums of film and literature. Kraus and Del Toro previously collaborated on the young adult novel “Trollhunters,” which was adapted into the most-watched family show in Netflix history. It was during a meeting about that project that the two began to develop the idea that became “The Shape of Water.”

Daniel Kraus has landed on Entertainment Weekly‘s Top 10 Books of the Year and has won two Odyssey Awards. His novels have been Library Guild selections, Bram Stoker finalists and more. Daniel lives in Chicago and is currently completing “The Living Dead,” an epic zombie novel left unfinished by George A. Romero.

For additional information about the author event, please contact Senior Librarian Karen Cruze at kcruze@santaclaritalibrary.com or call The MAIN at (661) 290-2255.