Tahmima Anam’s next novel has jumped from the book fair to the screen development slate before readers have even got their hands on it. “Good Books,” a story set behind the scenes in publishing, is being developed for television by Pacesetter Productions and Kudos, with Anam co-adapting alongside “Emily in Paris” writer Alison Brown.
The novel was announced at the Edinburgh Book Festival, where U.K. publisher Canongate signed the book for a 2028 release and Scribner picked up North American rights. The publisher’s pitch — “The Devil Wears Prada” meets “Yellowface” — matters because it gives buyers two known commercial reference points before a single chapter has shipped.
The package
The adaptation brings together a literary name, an experienced screenwriter and two production labels with recent drama credentials.
- Good Books: set in publishing, with a synopsis that follows Raya Chatterji from a New York bookshop to London’s literary agent world.
- Alison Brown: the Emmy-nominated writer-producer whose credits include “Emily in Paris,” “Younger” and “Upload,” co-adapting with Anam.
- Pacesetter Productions: Jessica Rhoades’ label behind Peacock’s “Ponies” and a producer on “Black Mirror” and the upcoming “Cunk on Cinema.”
- Kudos: the Banijay-owned U.K. production house behind “House of Guinness,” “SAS: Rogue Heroes” and “Grantchester.”
The novel’s description focuses on imposter syndrome, mothers and daughters, and “who gets to make” books. Anam’s profile adds weight: the Bengal trilogy author won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book and the O. Henry Award, and her novel “Uprising” was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction.
What this signals for the screen business
This is the content economy buying early into literary IP. Streamers and producers are not waiting for a novel to become a bestseller; they are optioning around the book announcement itself, when rights are clean and competitors have not driven up prices. For media planners and entertainment marketers, development-stage announcements are an early indicator of the stories a platform or studio is betting on — and of the audience segments it hopes those stories will unlock.
The publishing setting also gives the project a built-in hook for the people who shape book and streaming conversations: readers, book communities and the same professional class that makes content decisions. That is a strong marketing surface before casting or even script details exist.
What remains open is the destination platform. Pacesetter and Kudos are producing; no streamer or network is named, which means the next signal to watch is a series order or a buyer announcement.
Source: Variety
