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at the film/TV and publishing industries and working out what people want, as well as trends and new ideas, then finding ways to produce this by teaming up with great writers. It’s a smart way to give people what they want while still creating brilliant books. Selberg They could be more aware of what’s happening in the world of the screen and what broadcasters are looking for—reading industry publica- tions and atending conferences like the Children’s Media Conference, or Kidscreen, would help. The big issue is that most publishers do not control the TV/ film/merchandising rights, and therefore it’s not a big priorit [for them]. Some rights departments are beter than others at pitching to scouts even if they don’t hold the rights, realising that media exposure is good for book sales. Hayward-Whitlock I think the key is to keep an open communication up. Publishing announcements and, laterly, sales figures are really useful tools for us when selling titles, so when we have that information readily available, our jobs become easier. Deakin From the publisher’s
side it’s useful to know the tpe of films, specials or series ideas that we, as producers, are looking for. When we’re establishing a relationship with a publisher, we find it useful to have fairly regular updates with relevant new titles and stories on their list. Constant dialogue is even more important when you develop a screen adap- tation together.
03 Which adaptations have recently worked particu-
larly well—and why? Coventry “Big Litle Lies” is the obvious first answer. “Love, Simon” was a beautiful, important and heartwarming example of YA on screen for actual young people—a rare thing. And “Paddington 2” was absolute genius—the most fun I’ve had at the cinema in ages. “The End of the Fucking World” (adapted from Charles Forsman’s graphic novel for Channel 4 and Netflix)
TheBookseller.com
is another of my favourites: a brilliantly writen, excellently performed adaptation that felt fresh and modern. Selberg On the animation side, I think “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” was a success. It was a faithful translation of the spirit of the book, and well-marketed too. I liked the Anne of Green Gables remake on Netflix and it’s clearly been a hit because it is making more. The YA genre is on the rise, especially on Netflix: “13 Reasons Why”, “The Kissing Booth” and “To the Boys I’ve Loved Before” are a few examples, but many more have been optioned. Hayward-Whitlock “Room” is a really successful example of authors adapting their own work. “Patrick Melrose” pulled off the
Most publishers do not control the TV/ film/merchandising rights, and therefore it’s not a big priority for them
Ingrid Selberg, Ingrid Selberg Consulting 8.3
trick of transferring the strong personalit and confes- sional tone from the novels to the screen. And “A Very English Scandal” is an example of how a book can be a great way into a well-known public story. Deakin We’ve been over- whelmed by the reception to “Ethel & Ernest”—a hand-drawn feature based on the auto- biographical graphic novel by Raymond Briggs—and “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”, a TV special based on Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury’s children’s book. Both were watched by record audiences, on BBC One and Channel 4 respectively.
04 What are the risks and opportunities in this area?
Coventry There is always the risk of books being optioned without
8.2
Patrick Melrose Author Edward St Aubyn Network Sky Atlantic
Units Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies has sold across all print editions through the UK’s TCM
Five of the best
8.6
Big Little Lies Author Liane Moriarty Network HBO
8.5
Anne with an E Author Lucy Maud Montgomery
Network Netflix
proper thought, especially when big money is involved. But that tends to happen more in the US. I know lots of authors will have had the experience of their books being optioned and not going anywhere, though that is the nature of the business. I would like to see more niche and experi- mental work optioned for wider audiences, without the worry of not atracting the right crowd. Selberg Brexit is an additional headache. It’s as hard as ever to finance. The BBC is not commis- sioning much. It’s focused on “fewer, bigger, beter”, which offers fewer opportunities. There is so much competition out there [for viewers’ time], especially from YouTube. The opportunities lie with the new players in the market, such as Apple, Netflix and Amazon. Hayward-Whitlock The risks are the same as with any boom- ing market—there’s a possibilit of the market geting oversatu- rated with material, but there is so much strong material out there and buyers are joining the market all the time—which is also the biggest opportunit. I don’t see a slow-down any time soon. Deakin There is a risk that
8.2
The End of the F***ing World Author Charles Forsman Network Channel 4/ Netflix
at a certain point all the big, bestselling titles from the past 50 years will have been adapted, sometimes multiple times, and there will not be much room leſt in the market to adapt and exploit original titles that have not yet had time to build up sales figures and a large international fanbase. As far as opportunities are concerned, there has been a seismic shiſt, particularly in the past year, in the public’s atitude towards inclusivit—they want the stories they are being told to reflect the diversit of people’s experience. This translates as a great creative opportunit when adapting a book for the screen.
Room Author Emma Donoghue Network Film4
Show/film ratings: IMDB 07
Camilla Deakin will feature in the session Points of View: What are Producers Looking for, and Why? at 2 p.m. Tobi Coventry, Emily Hayward Whitlock and Ingrid Selberg make up the panel for Full Exploitation: Getting Noticed, Getting Deals at 3 p.m. (both Media Strand)
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