Writer thrilled to be part of the festival
Thriller writer Erin Kelly, whose The Poison Tree was a big hit, will join David Hewson to talk about adapting TV series into best-selling books. Her fourth novel, The Ties that Bind, is out now, followed i n August by Broadchurch: The Novel, i nspired by the first season of the programme which starred Olivia Coleman and David Tennant.
The Poison Tree was made i nto an ITV drama starring My Anna Buri ng, Matthew Goode and Ophelia Lovibond. It was a Richard and Judy Summer Read i n 2011, and was longlisted for the 2011 CWA John Creasy (New Blood) Da g ge r Awa rd . Th e n ove l has been translated into 11 languages. Erin lives in London with her husband and daughters.
Here’s what s he had t o say about writing, adapting Broad church , books and festivals. What was it like a) having The Poison Tree picked as a Richard and Judy Summer Read? I t was fantastic ! I was s o nervous before I met them, but I needn’t have been; they’re just like they are on TV. b) being nominated for a CWA Dagger award? This happened just after the book was published – before TV, or Richard and Judy, almost before any reviews came out – so it was a real boost very early in my career. c ) Having it adapted for television and watching it? It was so interesting to see how the plot had to be chopped and changed to fit onto the TV, and it taught me a lot about how tv works and storytelling in general. I loved the cast, I thought they were perfect and gorgeous. How difficult is it finding a new ‘crime character/voice’ in what is a crowded genre – and with many respected writers? Finding a voice and characters is easy – I’ve been daydreaming stories since I was a child. And I don’t think you can help the way your style, or voice, it’s like your speaking voice; you can train it, but it is what it is. The difficult part is coming up with plot twists that haven’t been done before! What prompted you to become a crime writer? I just decided to write the kind of books I liked reading, and that I talked about with my friends, which just happen to be mysteries, stories with lots of atmosphere and suspense. Please tel l me something about writing the Broadchurch novels: the ups and downside ... and how they came about. The upside was getting to watch DVDs all day and call it work – and to have such perfect, inspiring s ource material. I didn’t need to plot, as the storyline was already done for me, and that was amazing. The difficult part was not having t he t ota l control I’ m us e d to, and having to ask Chris Chibnall (who originated the series ) before making a ny changes; but luckily we had a great working relationship, so even that wasn’t a problem. What do you think of Books by the Beach? I am assuming a lot here – but I am guessing you like them. I love in dependent book festivals , and this one has such a stellar line-up and good reputation, I couldn’t resist. It’s also brilliant excuse to visit somewhere new. Please tell me your top favourite five books and why? It changes all the time, but this week they are:
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier for combining suspense and romance
G reat Expectations by Charles Dickens f or it s perfect plot
The Line of Beauty by Alan Holing-hurst for its flawless writing
Something Might Happen by Julie Myerson for making me cry like a baby
Finger smith by Sarah Waters for all of the above, plus a genius twist