Latest Acquisitions and Adaptations
By Georgie Cutler, Eva Lee, Emma Leask, Molly Pearce and Niamh Parr
Acquisition News
Millie Bobby Brown Set to Release Debut Novel
Millie Bobby Brown, of Stranger Things and Enola Holmes fame, is set to release her debut novel. Brown’s book – called Nineteen Steps – is a historical fiction novel set during the Second World War, and inspired by her own grandmother’s experiences living in London during the war. She has been working on the novel with the help of author Kathleen McGurl, who also writes historical fiction. The story follows the life of eighteen-year-old Nellie as she navigates war-ridden London, unexpectedly falling in love with an American airman whilst also dealing with the tragedies constantly happening around her. In the UK, Brown’s novel will be published by HQ, an imprint of HarperCollins UK. It has also been bought by William Morrow in the US in a US and Canadian rights agreement. Nineteen Steps will be released in September 2023 – we certainly can’t wait to see what lies in store.
Usborne Acquires Feminist YA Dystopian From Holly Bourne
Holly Bourne, queen of UK young adult (YA), is set to release her tenth YA book with Usborne. Rebecca Hill, Fiction Director, and Sarah Stewart, Senior Commissioning Editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to You Could Be So Pretty. This novel differs to Bourne’s previous YA books, all of which have been in a contemporary setting. The book is a dystopian, which will dissect important issues such as beauty standards for young adults and will no doubt be a powerful read as a book which shows what a not-so-distant future may look like. As with Bourne’s other novels, it promises to encourage conversations among teenage readers on topics such as mental health and relationships, as well as have a feminist message common to Bourne’s other novels at the core of the story. The book is currently expected to be released in paperback on 28 September 2023.
From Book to Screen
What to Watch?
Magpie Murders Streaming on BBC iPlayer
The mystery story within a story novel by Anthony Horowitz has been adapted as a TV series for PBS and Britbox. In January, the BBC acquired the rights to the series and are set to develop a second series of the show airing next year. The plot follows Susan Ryeland, editor to the Atticus Pünd novels by best-selling author Alan Conway. After his death, she receives the unfinished manuscript to the final Pünd novel and Conway’s handwritten suicide note is delivered to her office. Suspecting that Conway’s death may not be what it seems, she looks to the manuscript to reveal the truths behind his demise. Lesley Manville, Conleth Hill and Tim McMullan lead this murder mnystery series. The six-part adaptation began streaming on Britbox and PBS in 2022 and – as of April 2023 – you can watch the series on BBC iPlayer.
Sofie Cramer’s Text for You Set for English Remake
A new rom-com film titled Love Again is set to be released by Sony Pictures, an English language remake of the German film SMS für Dich based on Sofie Cramer novel titled Text For You. The main cast will star Sam Heughan, Priyanka Chopra and Celine Dion as the leading the roles with a plot that centres around the loss of a fiancé. Mia (Chopra) who tries to deal with her loss, decides to send a series of texts to his old phone number not realising this has been reassigned. Rob (Heughan) a journalist is the person who receives these texts and is intrigued by her words and finds a way to look for her. Sound like a romantic love story? There’s not long to wait as Love Again will be out on 13 May 2023.
In the Works
Book Lovers to Get a Feature Film Adaptation
Emily Henry’s bestselling novel titled Book Lovers is set to be adapted into a feature film. Published in 2022, the novel was the 2022 winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards and has continuously attracted a huge number of readers around the world. The novel follows Nora, a literary agent who is asked by her sister to spend a month in North Carolina during the summer. A cute story unravels as Nora bumps into Charlie, a bookish editor from the city not just once but many of times leading to series a of coincidences and funny moments. Film rights for the romantic comedy have been brought by Tango Entertainment with no news as to when this will be out. We can expect to see a release in 2024 with the current adaptation in the pre-production stage. Keep an eye out for future updates.