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Channel 4 has commissioned Candice Carty-Williams to create a drama series based on her hit novel Queenie (Trapeze) after a major auction.
The deal was negotiated by Cathy King at 42 Management & Production, in collaboration with Jo Unwin at JULA.
The TV series will be made up of eight 30-minute episodes and will be produced by Further South Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. It will be executive produced by Steve November, Sarah Conroy and Carty-Williams. Head of drama Caroline Hollick and commissioning editor Gemma Boswell commissioned the series for Channel 4 Drama. It will be distributed by Lionsgate, and production starts next year.
Carty-Williams said: “Being able to bring Queenie, her family and of course the Corgis to the screen is so exciting to me. And to do that with Channel 4, who has always set the tone for what television is about by pushing the boundaries of what we watch, is an added bonus. It’s clear to me that Queenie, a character whose story came to me when I was battling my way through my own messy twenties, is still so relevant today, and it’s about time that a show like this can explore why. To adapt and breathe new life into a story that has been talked about across the globe, and to bring Queenie, our problematic fave, to a whole new audience, is such a privilege.”
Queenie, which tells the tale of the life and loves of Jamaican British woman Queenie Jenkins, has sold 124,519 copies in paperback and 34,938 in hardback via Nielsen BookScan and was named the Nibbies' Book of the Year in 2020. It was named Blackwell's Book of the Year in 2019 and was a runner-up for the Costa First Novel Award.
Hollick said: “Candice is the stand-out voice of her generation and has created an iconic character in Queenie whose honesty, vulnerability and sharp sense of humour shines an unflinching light on who we are today. I’m so excited for this adaptation, and I’m in no doubt that both Queenie and Candice are going to take Channel 4 by storm!”
November added: “Channel 4 is the perfect home for Candice’s provocative, timely, hilarious writing and we are delighted to be working with Candice to bring Queenie to the screen". Conroy said it was "a privilege" to work with Carty-Williams on Queenie's journey from page to screen. She added: "We hope that the many, many fans of the book will love this version of Queenie and that the adaptation will allow new fans to fall in love with this amazing character for the first time.”