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Writers to pitch work for screen adaptation at inaugural SQ/QWC Adaptable Program

19 February 2019   Books+Publishing
@booksandpublishing

Twenty-five writers will pitch their work to film industry figures as part of a new initiative run by Screen Queensland (SQ) and the Queensland Writers Centre (QWC), which aims to bring more local book adaptations to screen.

Taking place on 20 March in Brisbane, the SQ/QWC Adaptable Program gives writers, agents and publishers the opportunity to pitch their published and/or publication-ready work to producers, showrunners and screenwriters. The day will also include panel discussions on the publishing and screen industries, as well as a networking event. The program is open to writers producing novels, short stories, biographies and nonfiction works.

The 25 writers chosen for the program are:

  • Julie Fison
  • Claire Garth
  • Taryn Bashford
  • Benjamin Allmon
  • Caylie Jeffery
  • Tanya Vavilova
  • Renee Treml
  • Eleni Hale
  • Greg Reed (C T Mitchell)
  • Lazaros Zigomanis
  • Peter Papathanasiou
  • Mhairead MacLeod
  • Charmaine O’Brien
  • Paul Garrety
  • Veny Armanno
  • Donna Cameron
  • Susanne Gervay
  • Chris Adams and Helen Goltz
  • Victoria Carless
  • Kate Hunter
  • Samantha Wheeler
  • Chris Kirby-Ryan
  • Darren Koziol
  • Edoardo Crismani
  • Cheryl Sullivan.

Staff from QWC and SQ assessed the applications and decided on the shortlist. QWC also coordinated a number of philanthropically funded sponsorships to assist Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander writers, LGBTQIA+ writers, and women writers experiencing hardship to apply for the program. QWC CEO Lori-Jay Ellis said: ‘This created opportunities for diverse voices who would have otherwise not had the opportunity to participate. Two of these works were ultimately selected for the Adaptable shortlist.’

SQ and QWC launched the Adaptable initiative in part as a response to data showing that only 10-15% of Australian films are adaptations, compared to 60-70% in the US. Research commissioned by the UK’s Publishers Association shows that films adapted from existing works—such as books—perform consistently higher due to audience recognition. The research showed that film adaptions of books gross 53% more worldwide than films from original screenplays.

For more information about the Adaptable Program, see the SQ website.

 

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