India Knight reimagines The Pursuit of Love for the 21st century

India Knight is publishing an homage to her favourite novel, The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford, with Fig Tree next year. 

Entitled Darling, the book reimagines what the Radletts might be up to in 2019: Uncle Matthew is a retired rock-star, "irascible in leather trousers"; Davey is "busy with his clean-eating app, ‘Unsoiled’"; Merlin works in fashion; Tony Kroesig’s father is a UKIP peer; Christian Talbot is a Momentum official; and the Hons’ Cupboard is now the Hens’ House. 

"I am thrilled to the point of hysteria to be working on a version of my favourite novel, and hugely flattered that the Mitford Estate should have asked me to," said Knight. 

She continued: "There are fewer servants and not everyone is titled and white, but The Bolter still bolts and Linda continues to pursue love. I hope it will please and amuse fans of the original, as well as working as a stand-alone novel for new readers."

Knight's retelling of the tale will publish in November 2019. Georgia Garrett and Zoe Waldie at Rogers Coleridge and White sold UK and Commonwealth rights to Juliet Annan on behalf of India Knight and the Mitford Estate respectively.

Annan commented: “India will bring all the same moving and hilarious, astute and pointed, social satire that Nancy Mitford brought to Linda, Fabrice, the Radlett family and English society over 70 years ago, but into a world that has completely and utterly changed."  

The Mitford Estate added: "We are supportive of this project and really looking forward to seeing how India Knight reimagines the extraordinary world of the Radletts for the 21st century."