The Book of Malachi by TC Farren hits global shelves, TV rights sold
The international edition of TC Farren’s riveting thriller The Book of Malachi (Kwela, 2019) is now available globally, published by Titan Books (United Kingdom).
Farren’s novel is a high-concept thriller with an underlying exploration of innocence and guilt. When published in May last year, the author received high praise for the creative way in which The Book of Malachi both provokes and entertains.
In a review for LitNet, Janet van Eeden wrote:
‘Farren has an ability to express the interior world of a character in a profound way, diving into the depths of human motivations and aspirations, even when a character is unaware of them.’
In Sunday Times, Tiah Beautement stated that the book ‘will have you ripping through the pages’. On Goodreads, Jayne Bauling concluded her review by calling it ‘original, tense, and profoundly moving’.
In additional good news, the television rights have been acquired by UK-based production house Little Island Productions. Headed by Helen Flint, the company specialises in high-end scripted dramas for domestic and international markets. Some of their notable productions include Patrick Melrose (starring Benedict Cumberbatch), Indian Summers (starring Julie Walters) and Snatch (starring Rupert Grint).
A scriptwriter at heart, often celebrated for her cinematic flair, Farren is ecstatic about this new development:
‘People who read the book often say they’ve just watched a movie. I felt the same way writing it. It is wonderful that Little Island Productions are going to make this materialise.’
Carolyn Meads, publisher at Kwela, is equally pleased with the news:
‘One of my first thoughts upon reading the manuscript was that The Book of Malachi would make a great TV series. I also immediately knew that I wanted to publish the book. Tracey’s writing can compete with the best that’s out there. What a privilege it is for Kwela to have been the first to publish The Book of Malachi.’
About the book
Malachi Dakwaa is mute and utterly disconnected from human beings when he gets an extraordinary job offer. In exchange for six months as warder on a top-secret organ farming project, Frasier Pharmaceuticals will graft a new tongue for him. Malachi takes the deal. Far out to sea, he finds himself among warlords and mass murderers of the kind who maimed him and killed his family. But are the prisoners as evil as Frasier says? Do they deserve their fate?
About the author
TC Farren is a novelist, prize-wining screenwriter and former journalist. Her first novel, Whiplash, was shortlisted for The Sunday Times Fiction Prize and was adapted into the highly successful feature film, Tess. The Book of Malachi was longlisted for the 2020 Nommo Awards for Speculative Fiction by Africans. She lives in the Cape Peninsula.
Categories Fiction International South Africa
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