‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ to be adapted as TV miniseries

20 September 2018 Books+Publishing

Synchronicity Films will adapt Heather Morris’ The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Echo) as a television drama miniseries.

The project is currently in development, with Australian writer-producer Jacquelin Perske to adapt Morris’ book for screen. The miniseries is planned to be broadcast in January 2020, to tie in with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Synchronicity founder and creative director Claire Mundell acquired screen rights from Bonnier Books UK, via the Hollywood-based Creative Artists Agency, and has also made an international distribution deal with UK company DRG.

Based on the true story of Lale Sokolov, who met his future wife while working as a tattooist at the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, The Tattooist of Auschwitz has sold more 750,000 copies in 32 territories since it was first published in January 2018 by Zaffre in the UK and Echo Publishing in Australia, both imprints of Bonnier Books UK.

‘This story was always envisioned by Heather, and even by Lale, as being told on screen,’ said Echo publisher Angela Meyer. ‘I’m so proud and excited that Lale and Gita’s important and moving story will now be told in that form, and by an experienced company that has already shown such dedication and respect to the story, characters and themes.’

Author Heather Morris said she was ‘so pleased’ that Synchronicity had secured the screen rights. ‘Lale Sokolov placed a great deal of trust in me when he first shared his story. I am now passing that baton on … Claire and her colleagues have an obvious passion for my book and have demonstrated clear sensitivity to producing a real person’s story. I know Lale will be smiling down at this new phase of his and Gita’s story.’

The book remained on Nielsen BookScan’s Australian top 10 bestseller lists for 24 consecutive weeks. In the UK it has remained in the top 10 fiction hardbacks on the Sunday Times bestsellers list for over 25 weeks. It appeared at fourth place in the New York Times bestseller lists in its first week of publication in the US.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions