Chloé Zhao's film of Maggie O'Farrell's HAMNET has its UK Premiere at BFI London Film Festival Mayor's Gala

After its world premiere at Telluride Film Festival last month, Hamnet the movie (based on Maggie O’Farrell’s multi award winning novel) had a European premiere at the London Film Festival this past Saturday, sparking renewed Oscar buzz. The film has already won the TIFF People’s Choice Best Film Award as well as the 48th Mill Valley ‘Overall Audience Favourite’ Award.

Directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao from a screenplay adaptation co-written by Maggie and Chloe, Hamnet received an emotional round of applause from a packed Royal Festival Hall audience. The film, a gut-wrenching drama exploring contrasting experiences of grief, stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in the lead roles, with Emily Watson and Jacobi Jupe as Hamnet.

The event was introduced  by Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes, alongside producers Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris and Nick Gonda and key cast.

Blake Friedmann’s Head of Film and TV, Conrad Williams, negotiated the adaptation and screenwriting deals for Maggie. Victoria Hobbs at A.M.Heath reps Maggie’s publishing rights etc.

Critical Acclaim for Hamnet

‘This transcendent adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel about the death of Shakespeare’s son will be an Oscar frontrunner’ – The Times

‘Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal excel in stately Shakespeare drama with overwhelming finale’ – The Guardian

 ‘Jessie Buckley delivers a devastating performance in Chloé Zhao’s radically feminine take on Shakespeare’s family life’ – Variety

 ‘Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, and director Chloé Zhao turn Shakespeare’s real-life tragedy into a heartbreaking portrait of love, loss, and the healing power of art’ – Rolling Stone

Abbie Cornish and Dougray Scott sign up to new Deon Meyer adaptation THE INVISIBLE for M-Net and ITV Studios

THE INVISIBLE – a new eight-part miniseries adapted from internationally acclaimed bestselling author Deon Meyer’s novel BLOOD SAFARI – has just been announced, with star casting led by Australian Abbie Cornish (LIMITLESS; THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI) and Scottish star Dougray Scott (CRIME; ENIGMA). The series is a co-production between M-Net, Scene23, Berkeley Media Group (BMG), and ITV Studios, who will distribute internationally.

THE INVISIBLE follows Dekker – a former professional bodyguard – and Emma, an expat who returns to South Africa in search of her long-missing brother, who together get drawn into a deadly game following a spate of vigilante killings in the Kruger National Park.

The series was created by Deon himself, along with William Josef Schneider, who will lead the writing team on the adaptation. The directors are Jozua Malherbe – who also helmed previous adaptations DEVIL’S PEAK and TRACKERS – and award-winning playwright and filmmaker Amy Jephta (BARAKAT; CATCH A KILLER). Joining Cornish and Scott in the cast will be South African talent Kim Engelbrecht, Tim Theron and Tumisho Masha.

‘To say I’m proud, grateful and excited about The Invisible as a TV series is a vast understatement,’ commented Deon. ‘We’ve worked so hard for two years to put the series together, and now, it’s finally going into production with an excellent broadcast partner and executive production team, great writers, a stellar, international cast, a brilliant director and the best film crew in the world. How cool is that?’

About THE INVISIBLE

In the shadow of South Africa’s Kruger National Park, a mysterious killer begins executing local poachers. As the body count rises, local Inspector Jack Phatudi is drawn into a dangerous manhunt to unmask the vigilante.

At the same time, Dekker — a former bodyguard with a haunted past — is hired to protect Emma, a South African expat, who returns home to search for her brother who she believes is still alive, despite his disappearance 20 years ago.

When Phatudi’s investigation collides with Emma and Dekker’s quest, they uncover a buried conspiracy reaching back to the political assassination of a pivotal African leader. As powerful forces close in, all three are forced to confront the explosive truth — one that could rewrite history, and that others will kill to keep hidden.

About Deon Meyer

Deon Meyer lives in Stellenbosch. His books are sold in more than 40 countries worldwide, and have been awarded many prizes around the world: the Deutsche Krimi Prize in Germany, the ATKV Prize in South Africa, the Martin Beck Award in Sweden and Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and Le Prix Mystère de la Critique in France. COBRA was shortlisted for the 2015 CWA International Dagger, THIRTEEN HOURS was shortlisted for the 2010 CWA International Dagger, and HEART OF THE HUNTER, was longlisted for the 2005 IMPAC Prize and selected as one of Chicago Tribune’s ‘10 best mysteries and thrillers of 2004’. THE DARK FLOOD was longlisted for the 2023 CWA Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation, and LEO enjoyed ten weeks at the top of the South African bestseller lists, Number One in all categories, before going on to win Best Adult Fiction and Book of the Year at the 2024 SA Book Awards, and the ATKV-Woordveertjies Prize for best Afrikaans Thriller. His latest novel, SKORPIO, will be published in Afrikaans by Humans and Rousseau in November 2025, ahead of an English-language edition by new publisher Pan Macmillan in late 2026.

Adaptations of Deon’s novels have recently had great success on screen: in April 2024, HEART OF THE HUNTER topped the global Netflix film charts, becoming the first African film to do so, with over 11 million views in its first two days alone. DEVIL’S PEAK was also adapted for a miniseries by Lookout Point and Expanded Media Productions, premiering on M-Net in South Africa in 2023 before reaching audiences in the USA, New Zealand, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. In 2020, TRACKERS, produced by Three River Fiction and Scene 23, aired on Sky Atlantic in the UK and HBO in the USA, as well as Australia and New Zealand, and across the Nordic countries and Europe.

Praise for Deon Meyer

‘He’s up there with the best in the world.’ – Marcel Berlins, The Times

‘I love Deon Meyer novels. It’s global storytelling at its best, with the undeniable hallmarks of gritty realism and deep character building.’ – Michael Connelly

‘Deon Meyer's name on the cover is a guarantee of crime writing at its best.’ – Tess Gerritsen

‘Deon Meyer is one of the giants of crime fiction.’ – El Mundo

‘One of the best crime writers on the planet.’ – Mail on Sunday

Visit Deon’s website

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Nikki Allen shortlisted for The Book Party’s UK Book Blogger Awards 2025

Nikki Allen has been shortlisted for The Book Party’s UK Book Blogger Awards in the Blogger’s Author category. The Blogger’s Author award celebrates authors that value the importance of the book community and go out of their way to be connected to readers. Nikki made it to the longlist of forty authors after being nominated by members of the book community who then voted her onto the shortlist of eight. The winner will be decided by a panel of judges and announced online on 17th November 2025.

On the shortlist alongside Nikki Allen are TM Logan, Helena M Craggs, Helen Aitchison, G. D. Wright, Tara Lyons, S. J. Gathercole and Rebecca Ryan.

Nikki Allen is the author of THE HIDEAWAY, a twisty destination thriller published by Pan Macmillan in July 2025. When five strangers are chosen for an all-expenses-paid stay at an exclusive retreat, they leap at the chance to rest and get away from it all in the heart of the lush Costa Rican rainforest. Their famous host is nowhere to be seen when they arrive. Confused, but eager to immerse themselves in this once-in-a-lifetime experience, they head into the wilderness in search of a rejuvenating waterfall. But a sudden disaster plunges them into a desperate fight for survival. Lost under the dense canopies with darkness closing in, they soon realise they cannot trust the beauty of their surroundings – or each other…

Nikki is currently writing her second thriller which Pan Macmillan will publish in 2026.

About Nikki Allen

Nikki Allen wrote her first book aged five – sadly, THE ADVENTURES OF SILLY SUSIE SAUSAGE didn’t get picked up for publication – and has been writing ever since. After studying languages at UCL, she decided the best way to write for a living was to become a local news journalist and copywriter. But in her thirties, the call of creative writing got too loud to ignore and she tried her hand at a novel.

Nikki is also a qualified therapist, and her endless fascination with people and their stories inspires much of her writing. She was born in Holland, grew up the only Jewish kid in her Worcestershire village, and now lives in North London with her husband, two young children and a rather overweight cat called Tiny.

Praise for THE HIDEAWAY

‘Fast-paced and imbued with a palpable sense of danger, THE HIDEAWAY is the kind of taut destination thriller you can read in just a few sittings.’ – Culturefly, 24 Books to Add to Your Summer 2025 Reading List

‘A brilliant, twisty thriller that makes you want to shout warnings out aloud to the characters! I was gripped’ – Peter James

‘An absolutely flawless debut from an incredible survival thriller writer. The prose is taut without being plain and wonderfully descriptive without becoming purple. Paced flawlessly from start to the barn burner of a finale, I gobbled this up in two days and can still hear the hum of insects and feel the heat of a tropical summer on my skin. An absolute must-read for your summer. Nikki Allen is one to watch’ – Sarah Goodwin, author of THE YACHT

‘THE HIDEAWAY is THE thriller debut of the summer! With an atmospheric setting that will immediately transport you to the Costa Rican rainforest and a dubious cast of characters, THE HIDEAWAY has all the hallmarks for a perfect destination-based, locked room mystery. Filled with tense twists and turns, it will keep you guessing – and distrusting everyone – until the very end. With THE HIDEAWAY, Nikki Allen cements herself as a thriller author to watch, and I can’t wait to see what she does next!’ – Sara Ochs

‘Dangers and secrets lurk in the shadows in this unputdownable destination thriller set in lush Costa Rican rainforest. An immersive, escapist tale of a tropical paradise that turns into a nightmare’ – Alison Reynolds, author of THE NEAR DAPHNE EXPERIENCE

‘With shades of THE WHITE LOTUS, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR and Agatha Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, this Costa Rican-set thriller is an accomplished white-knuckle ride from start to finish.’ – Kate Riordan, author of THE HEATWAVE and SUMMER FEVER

‘Really enjoyed this twisty debut from Nikki Allen, and definitely the closest I’ll get to a Costa Rican jungle, especially after the visceral way Nikki brilliantly brought it to life: the heat, the crawling insects, the danger!’ – Amanda Reynolds, author of CLOSE TO ME

‘Nikki Allen has delivered a captivating, immersive and brilliant read - the perfect destination thriller to lose yourself in this summer.’ – Natasha Boydell, author of THE MISSING HUSBAND and THE FORTUNE TELLER

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Luca Veste returns to Avon with exciting four-book deal

Credit: Ean Flanders Photography

Avon has acquired four novels to launch a new Liverpool-based crime series by Luca Veste. The first two titles, LIAR LIAR and TELL TALE, are scheduled for publication in Spring 2026 and early 2027, respectively. Helen Huthwaite, Publisher at Avon,  acquired World English language rights from Kate Burke at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency.

The multi-book deal marks Veste’s return to Avon, eleven years after the publisher released his first series featuring DI Murphy and DS Rossi. Most recently published by Hodder, LIAR LIAR sees Luca returning to his home town of Liverpool and features a disgraced detective who finds himself caught in the middle of a criminal investigation, racing against time to clear his name with his life on the line.

Helen Huthwaite said: ‘To say that I am delighted to bring Luca home to Avon is something of an understatement. I am ecstatic to see him return and couldn’t be more excited at the prospect of publishing his brilliant new Liverpool-based series. As a proud northerner myself, returning to Luca’s familiar northwest stomping ground will be an absolute joy - albeit one that’s peppered with plenty of bodies along the way! I know that we have an incredible opportunity to put Luca on the TBR pile of every crime reader in the country, with the potential for his new series to take him all the way to the top - where he rightly belongs!’

Luca Veste added: ‘I couldn't be happier to be returning to Avon - going back home, where it all began - to work with the incredible Helen Huthwaite and the amazing Avon team. To be given the opportunity to start a brand-new series, set in my beloved Liverpool, is one I couldn’t turn down. I'm absolutely thrilled and can'‘ wait for the first book to be in readers’ hands.’

Kate Burke commented: ‘I’m delighted to see Luca return to where it all started with the lovely Avon team! This is such an exciting new series and new chapter in his publishing.’

About Luca Veste
Luca Veste is a writer of Italian and Liverpudlian heritage. He is the author of eight novels, including the Murphy & Rossi series, and standalones THE BONE KEEPER and YOU NEVER SAID GOODBYE. He is the co-organiser of the Locked Up Festival, which raised over £25,000 for the Trussell Trust, co-host of the Two Crime Writers and a Microphone podcast, and the bass player in the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. He studied psychology and criminology at the University of Liverpool. He lives in Merseyside and is married with two daughters.

 Praise for Luca Veste
‘A writer who just gets better and better.’ – Mark Billingham

‘Re-energises the shop-worn police procedural format.’ – Financial Times,

‘A writer who has been favourably compared to Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay... and rightly so….’ – Belfast Telegraph

‘Luca Veste is leading the new wave in British crime fiction, using mystery novels to explore social issues, armed with heart, insight, and anger.’ – Jay Stringer

‘Luca Veste has talent for exposing the ugliness of the criminal mind... For readers in search of disturbing and dark, you have come to the right place.’ – Crime Review

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Visit Luca’s Facebook page.

In Memory of Ann Granger, 12 July 1939 – 7 September 2025

All of us at Blake Friedmann are deeply saddened by the death of Ann Granger, a much-loved client of the agency for many decades.

Booksellers, reviewers and her many fans spoke of Ann’s deft plotting and finely drawn characters, the recognisable worlds she created, with great insight, humour and humanity. It was that humanity and a deep interest in human nature that made such a strong connection with her readers and with everyone she came into contact with in her lifetime. We were so privileged to work with her for so long.

Her agent, Isobel Dixon, says: ‘It has been a great joy to work with our beloved Ann Granger over my thirty years at Blake Friedmann, an honour to continue Carole Blake’s work, and a pleasure shared with all my colleagues and the Headline team. We loved Ann for her wit and warmth and wisdom, her kindness and curiosity, all those sterling characteristics woven through her brilliant writing too. She was one of a kind, and she leaves a great gap in our lives. One consolation is that we can still share her books with readers, but I will miss our conversations more than I can say. As she is laid to rest, our thoughts are with her friends and family, her sons and other relatives, and also the fans who loved the characters and stories she gave to the world. We will continue to do our very best to honour her legacy.’

Her editor at Headline, Clare Foss, says: ‘It was an absolute joy and a privilege to publish Ann’s novels. She was inspirational, wise and incredibly witty, and we will all cherish our memories of her. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.’

Her publisher in Germany, Marco Schneiders of Bastei Lübbe, says: ‘Ann Granger was a unique writer and even more a unique person. For more than a quarter of a century we have had her books on our list and Ann has always been seen in Germany as a stellar writer of crime fiction. When we met her over the last 26 years she instantly became a significant member of the Lübbe family. Ann will be missed deeply at our publishing house.’

In lieu of flowers, Ann’s family asks for donations to be made to The Book Trade Charity (BTBS): https://btbs.enthuse.com/cf/celebrating-the-life-of-ann-granger

Born in Portsmouth, Patricia Ann Granger studied modern languages, French and German at the University of London before working for the Foreign Office and receiving postings to British embassies across the world, including in Munich, Lusaka, Vienna, Zagreb and Belgrade. She met her husband John Hulme at the British Embassy in Prague, and later settled with her family in Bicester, Oxfordshire, where she began writing. In 1979 her first novel, a historical romance titled A POOR RELATION, was published under the name Ann Hulme. In 1991, Headline published her first crime novel as Ann Granger, SAY IT WITH POISON.

Over the long and illustrious career that followed, Ann Granger thrilled her devoted fans with over thirty murder mysteries, including the Mitchell and Markby series, the Fran Varady mysteries, the Campbell and Carter mysteries and the Victorian crime series featuring Scotland Yard’s Inspector Ben Ross and his wife Lizzie. Headline also published her Collected Short Stories, MYSTERY IN THE MAKING, in 2021.

Her UK publisher Headline has sold well over a million copies of Ann’s novels across print, ebook and audio, and her work is published in 10 languages. In Germany, she achieved more than 30 Top 5 appearances on the German bestseller lists and sold millions of copies. In 1999, Ann was welcomed into the prestigious Detection Club. She was also a member of the UK Crime Writers' Association and Sisters in Crime in the US.

You can read more about Ann in her obituary in The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2025/09/30/ann-granger-crime-writer-delighted-readers-village-mystery/

We are grateful for Ann’s great gifts and her long life, for the honour of working with her and for being able to share her stories with the world. We think of all who loved her too: may her memory be a blessing.