Film/TV rights to Ros Anderson’s debut THE HIERARCHIES optioned by Margot Robbie’s company LuckyChap, SK Global, and Mazur Kaplan

After a fiercely fought auction, film/tv rights in Ros Anderson’s debut novel THE HIERARCHIES were acquired by SK Global and Mazur Kaplan, who will will co-produce with Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara under their LuckyChap Entertainment banner. The deal was negotiated on behalf of Ros Anderson by Conrad Williams of Blake Friedmann and Steve Fisher of APA Agency.

With a unique and compelling voice, THE HIERARCHIES is the diary of Sylv.ie, a synthetic woman designed to please and serve her human ‘Husband’ from the moment she comes to life. She lives in a single room at the top of his luxurious home, her existence barely tolerated by his human wife, and concealed from their child. Deeply curious about the world beyond her room, between the Husband’s visits Sylv.ie watches the family through her window, absorbing all she can. She keeps a diary, and through this learns that she cannot rely on her memories, or on what the Husband tells her. When she is taken to the ‘Doll Hospital’ it is not for her benefit, but to be altered. Sylv.ie needs to escape, but what will the world hold for her?

THE HIERARCHIES is a literary and speculative voice-driven novel that asks what it really means to be human. Set in a recognisable near future, and laced with dark, sly humour, THE HIERARCHIES is less about the fear of new technology than humans’ age-old talent for exploitation. From its outsider’s perspective, the novel explores notions of memory, consent, artifice, and ‘femininity’. It asks what it means to be ‘natural’ and celebrates the power of female friendship. Sometimes startling, often moving, and always unforgettable, readers will be gripped by THE HIERARCHIES from its very first page. It’s been described as perfect for fans of Never Let Me Go, I, Westworld, Ex Machina, Black Mirror and The Testaments.     

THE HIERARCHIES was published by Dutton in North America in August 2020, and will be published by Dead Ink and Bolinda in the UK in June 2021.

Praise for THE HIERARCHIES:

“Fascinating…Anderson gracefully executes the process of Sylv.ie’s self-discovery, making her feel real and deeply sympathetic…Readers will be drawn in by Sylv.ie’s emotional story.” — Publisher’s Weekly

“In The Hierarchies, Anderson has constructed a novel that goes beyond common conversations about what we will do, and what will happen to us, if robot women come into being…It’s a shocking and eye-opening debut, one that has me looking at my coffee maker a little differently.” — Bitch Media

‘A quiet triumph…Anderson’s prose — Sylv.ie’s voice — offers a beautiful combination of naivete and wisdom, full of nonhuman puzzlements, off-kilter observations and limpid poetry.” — Paul Di Filippo, Washington Post

DEON MEYER’S NEW NOVEL DONKERDRIF TOPS SOUTH AFRICAN CHARTS AS TRACKERS FEATURES ON SKY ATLANTIC

International bestseller Deon Meyer is enjoying both chart and screen success with the Afrikaans launch of his new novel DONKERDRIF propelling him straight to another South African Number One, while in the UK the TV series TRACKERS, inspired by Meyer’s novel of the same title, has premiered on Sky Atlantic. As the Guardian wrote, this ‘full-speed South African thriller ratchets up the tension’, calling it ‘gripping’ and  ‘a solid drama set against an action-packed backdrop of espionage, terrorism and political intrigue’ which ‘should raise heart rates.’

Human & Rousseau have sold more than 600,000 copies of Deon Meyer’s novels in Afrikaans and DONKERDRIF is the latest in the bestselling series featuring his much-loved detective characters, Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido. Deon’s novels are published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton and in the US by Grove Atlantic, who brought out the most recent title THE LAST HUNT (Afrikaans title PROOI). Deon Meyer is also an international prize-winner and bestseller, published by Gallimard in France, Bruna in Holland, Aufbau’s Rütten & Loening in Germany and more than 20 other languages.

You can see more about Deon’s books and the various editions on his website here. DONKERDRIF will be out in English (again superbly translated by K.L. Seegers) and other languages in 2021.

TRACKERS is also published in the UK by Hodder and in the US by Grove Atlantic. The TV series, starring James Gracie, Sisanda Henna, Rolanda Marais and Ed Stoppard, is a co-production between Cinemax, South Africa’s M-Net and Germany’s ZDF, produced by Three River Fiction and Scene 23. The TRACKERS series was created by Deon Meyer, scripted by Robert Thorogood and others, and directed by Jyri Kähönen, with Ivan Strasburg director of photography.  Full credits here.

The adaptation of TRACKERS interweaves three story strands into a sophisticated action-packed thriller that covers the length and breadth of South Africa, explosively colliding in Cape Town in a violent conspiracy involving organized crime, smuggled diamonds, state security, Black Rhinos, the CIA and an international terrorist plot.

Gracie plays Lemmer, a man who is seeking revenge while rebuilding his life in a small town after his career was destroyed in an earlier intelligence operation. Marais is Milla Strachan, a Cape Town housewife who has finally gathered the courage to walk out of her emotionally abusive home. She finds herself a new apartment and a job as a low-level data analyst for the Presidential Bureau of Intelligence and becomes an unlikely heroine as her new life and love puts her at the centre of a dangerous plot. Stoppard is Lukas Becker, an international man of mystery and alleged CIA operative who enters the PBI’s radar when Milla finds a major lead in her research. Sisanda Henna also won acclaim for his portrayal of Inkunzi Shabangu.

As Len Amato, President, HBO Films, Miniseries, and Cinemax said in a Deadline report: ‘Cinemax is delighted to partner with M-Net and ZDF in bringing Deon Meyer’s unforgettable characters and storytelling—all so richly rooted in the people and spectacular geography of South Africa—to screens around the world.’

TRACKERS has also been broadcast in the US, Australia and New Zealand, and across the Nordic countries and Europe.

Praise for Deon Meyer:

‘Deon Meyer should be on everyone's reading list.’ – Michael Connelly

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

‘Deon Meyer is not just South Africa’s greatest crime writer, he’s up there with the best in the world.’ —Marcel Berlins, The Times

‘Deon Meyer is one of the best crime writers on the planet.’ – Mail on Sunday

Praise for TRACKERS

'TRACKERS is a cut way above the rest... a top-class thriller...' – The Bookseller

‘Critics were struggling to come up with new adjectives to praise Deon Meyer's TRACKERS, a menacing tale of smuggling and disappearances on a sprawling canvas of post-apartheid South Africa.’  – Barry Forshaw, Best Crime & Thrillers 2011, The Independent

'An ambitious, multi-threaded tale...comprehensively pulling the reader into the melee of modern South Africa... this is a book that tells a cracking story and captures the criminal kaleidoscope of a nation.' – TLS

Praise for THE LAST HUNT

‘In word, deed, and spirit, Mr. Meyer’s humane and engaging characters are indeed among “the best of the best.”’—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

‘Superb’ – Publishers Weekly Starred Review

‘A relentless political thriller, as complex as it is dynamic.’ – Le Figaro Magazine

‘If he is wary of power and its excesses, Deon Meyer always trusts humanity. Even wounded and damaged by life, his heroes are magnificent.’ – Le Temps

Follow Deon Meyer on Twitter and on Instagram.

FILM RIGHTS TO THE ENGLISHMAN BY DAVID GILMAN OPTIONED BY AGC STUDIOS

Rights to THE ENGLISHMAN, the first novel in best-selling author David Gilman’s new book series, have been optioned by AGC Studios, Stuart Ford’s fast-growing independent studio, to be developed into a feature film.

Gilman is known for tension-filled, action-packed books that rise above standard adventure novels with smart and insightful writing informed by the acclaimed author’s life.  His biography rivals the plots of his books and imbues them with an up-to-the-moment reality against a global backdrop.  Gilman has been a paratrooper in the British Army, a firefighter, a professional photographer, a truck driver, a farm worker, a marketing executive for an international publishing company and a world traveller before the time he turned 30.  That experience is on every page of his latest book of which writer and journalist William Shaw said, “THE ENGLISHMAN is thrilling proof that high-tension international thrillers are back – and with an absolute vengeance” and The Times’ Jeremy Dun said, “THE ENGLISHMAN is a sweat-inducing tour-de-force.” Other works informed by Gilman’s extraordinary life include his tenure as one of the lead writers on the BAFTA® award winning ITV television series A TOUCH OF FROST, and as the author of the MASTER OF WAR historical novels and  YA adventure series, DANGER ZONE.

Published by Head of Zeus, THE ENGLISHMAN centres on Raglan, a former soldier whose work in the French Foreign Legion taking on terrorists in sub-Saharan Africa brings him to the attention of MI6.  He is soon recruited for a secret, undercover mission that takes him on a relentless search through the network of a dangerous international organized crime operation.  He finds out just how dangerous the mission is when he lands in a Siberian penal colony.  His physical and mental strength, and help from Yefimov, a fellow inmate, are keys to his survival through perilous and life-threatening dangers.  In Raglan THE ENGLISHMAN introduces us to an intelligent, complex and strong globe-trotting hero made for the challenges of the 21st Century.

Ford says, "We're thrilled to have acquired the right to make a film or maybe multiple films from David Gilman's compelling, enigmatic action hero Raglan and are looking forward to introducing some top tier writing and directing talent to the project in the near future".

The deal was negotiated by Conrad Williams on behalf of Gilman and by Stuart Ford and Vice President of Legal & Business Affairs Anant Tamirisa on behalf of AGC.

Translation rights to THE ENGLISHMAN have also already been acquired by Bulgarian publisher Delphin and Romanian publisher Lebada Neagra, emphasising its global appeal. Rights in David Gilman’s other titles have been sold in more than a dozen translation markets, and his MASTER OF WAR series has featured on German bestseller lists.

Praise for David Gilman

‘Verve, pace, shocks and intrigue, this is spy thriller writing by an author at the zenith of his powers.’ – Peter James

'Incisive prose – and the pulse-pounding pace just never lets up.’ – Peter May

‘The ENGLISHMAN is thrilling proof that high-tension international thrillers are back – and with an absolute vengeance.’ – William Shaw

‘A sweat-inducing tour de force.’ – Jeremy Duns, Thrillers of the Month, The Times

‘What Gilman does superlatively is heart-pounding action.’ — Amanda Craig, The Times

‘NIGHT FLIGHT TO PARIS is a magnificent war spy thriller. I couldn’t read it fast enough. Clever, complex, gripping, emotionally engaging, terrifying. And so much more. A stand-out novel of the year for me and one that kept me reading late into the summer night.’ — For Winter Nights

Follow David on Twitter

 Visit David’s Website

PETER JAMES’ FIND THEM DEAD FLIES STRAIGHT TO NUMBER ONE ON THE PAPERBACK BESTSELLER LISTS

Peter James’ sixteenth Detective Superintendent Roy Grace novel, FIND THEM DEAD, has shot straight to the Number 1 spot in the Sunday Times paperback bestseller chart after only three days on sale. FIND THEM DEAD’s success gave James his seventeenth Number 1 on the British charts this Sunday. FIND THEM DEAD has also been included in the Waterstones Best Paperbacks of 2020 and last month, James’ nerve-shredding standalone thriller, I FOLLOW YOU, spent weeks in the Top Ten of the hardback bestseller lists.

In FIND THEM DEAD, Roy Grace gets a tip-off about a county lines drugs mastermind operating out of Brighton. On his first day back in his old job in Sussex, he is called to a seemingly senseless murder.

Separately, Meg Magellan finally has her life back together, five years after the car crash that killed her husband and their son. Her daughter, Laura, now 18, is on her gap year travelling in South America with a friend, and Meg misses her badly. Laura is all she has in the world. In between jobs, Meg receives a summons for jury service. She’s excited – it might be interesting and will help distract her from constantly worrying about Laura. But when she is selected for the trial of a major Brighton drugs overlord, everything changes.

Gradually, Grace’s investigation draws him increasingly into the sinister sphere of influence of the drug dealer on trial. A man utterly ruthless and evil, prepared to order the death of anyone it takes to enable him to walk free. Just a few days into jury service, Meg arrives home to find a photograph of Laura, in Ecuador, lying on her kitchen table. Then her phone rings.

A sinister, threatening stranger is on the line. He tells her that if she ever wants to see Laura alive again, it is very simple. At the end of the trial, all she has to do is make sure the jury says just two words… Not guilty.

Peter James’ Roy Grace series has been translated into thirty-seven languages with worldwide sales of over twenty million copies

The first two Roy Grace novels, DEAD SIMPLE and LOOKING GOOD DEAD have been adapted for ITV by screenwriter and Endeavour creator, Russell Lewis, with John Simm set to star as the tenacious detective. DEAD SIMPLE filming is complete, with production on LOOKING GOOD DEAD ongoing.

Read Peter James’ 'Author's Tale' interview with the Independent.

Listen to Peter James’ interviews with the Mail Arts+ and Writer's Routine podcasts.

Praise for Peter James:

‘Sinister and riveting… Peter James is one of the best British crime writers, and therefore one of the best in the world.’ — Lee Child

‘Peter James creates a world we can smell, touch and feel for his Brighton detective Inspector Roy Grace.’ – The Times

‘A master plotter who cunningly tunes into contemporary concerns. Peter James cannot fail to thrill.’ ­– Daily Mail

'Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business.' — Karin Slaughter

About the Author:

Peter James is an international bestselling crime and thriller writer. In 2015 WHSmith customers voted him the Greatest Crime Author of All Time and in 2016 he was awarded the coveted CWA Diamond Dagger, a lifetime achievement award for sustained excellence. In 2018 he received a Specsavers Honorary Platinum Bestseller Award.

Successful nationwide tours of the stage plays of THE PERFECT MURDER (2014), DEAD SIMPLE (2015), NOT DEAD ENOUGH (2017) and THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL (2019) have played to packed theatres in dozens of British cities, and garnered magnificent reviews. The newest Roy Grace theatre production, LOOKING GOOD DEAD, will tour in 2021.

Visit Peter’s website

Like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter

Rebel Wilson and Janet McTeer set to star in film adaptation of THE ALMOND AND THE SEAHORSE

Rebel Wilson is branching out into the dramatic space with The Almond And The Sea Horse, a feature adaptation of Kaite O’Reilly’s stageplay in which she will star with Janet McTeer and further cast is set to be announced soon. The film is a poignant story about two couples where one partner has survived a traumatic brain injury, exploring how it impacts their lives together.

Tom Stern, an Oscar nominated cinematographer for Changeling, will make his directorial debut on the pic, co-helming with Celyn Jones, who is also making his feature debut in the director’s chair having penned screenplays for The Vanishing and Six Minutes To Midnight. Jones is also joining the cast of the film, reprising a role he played in the original stage production.

Producers are Andy Evans and Sean Marley with Alex Ashworth from Wales and Liverpool-based Mad As Birds (Poms, Six Minutes to Midnight) and co-producers are Christophe Mazodier from Polaris and Jean-Jacques Neira from Fontana. Shooting is scheduled to commence in March 2021 in Liverpool and North Wales.

Bankside Films is handling international sales rights on the project.

“The Almond And The Seahorse will be a journey into the lives of two couples whose lives become irreversibly altered through simple twists of fate,” said director Stern. “We will join them in their search for new relevance in this new reality, a search that is both tragic and comedic as their worlds turn upside down. The film will be directed jointly; bridging image, drama and performance into a poignant tale of humans striving for meaning and love.”

“Making The Almond And The Seahorse will be an honour,” added the Mad As Birds team. “It’s a real credit to Kaite O’Reilly’s brilliant source material that the screenplay turned out so well and attracted a stunning, world class cast. We can’t wait to tell this remarkable story together, a moving and humorous story that needs to be told.”

“We are thrilled to be working with such a prestigious cast and crew on this uniquely life affirming story which explores the eternal question of what memories mean to us and those we love,” said Bankside’s Stephen Kelliher. “We have no doubt that they will create a truly compelling film which will entertain and enrich audiences around the world.”