Walliams, Galbraith and Barnes up for CAMEOs

Fifteen “outstanding” book adaptations from the past year have been named on the shortlists for the Creativity Across Media: Entertainment & Originality Awards (CAMEO), with source titles including David Walliam’s Bad Dad (HarperCollins Children's), Robert Galbraith’s Cuckoo's Calling (Sphere) and Julian Barnes’ Sense of an Ending (Vintage).

Chosen by a cross-section of creative industry professionals including digital film makers, literary editors and theatre programmers, the judging panel shortlisted the film adaptations of Ethel & Ernest by Raymond Briggs (Jonathan Cape) in the Book to film category. It goes up against As a Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley (Penguin) – the source text of the film “Lion” – and Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (Vintage).

In the Book to TV category, Galbraith’s Cuckoo’s Calling (Sphere) tussles with The Miniaturist by Jesse Burton (Picador) and Hank Zipzer by Henry Winley and Lin Oliver (Walker Books).

Meanwhile, Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne (first publication by Pierre-Jules Hetzel) adapted by Eighty Days Productions, Gangsta Granny by David Walliams (HarperCollins) adapted by Neal Foster and the Birmingham Stage Company, and Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie (first published by Odhams Press) adapted by Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Rebecca Stafford Productions, will fight it out to be crowned best book to stage adaptation.

Pitted against each other in the book to game category are Aliens Love Underpants, based on the book original written by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort (S&S) adapted by Tiger Aspect and Sky Kids; Astro’s Cat Solar System, based on the book original by Dr Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman (Flying Eye), adapted by MiniLab Studios; and Room on the Broom, based on the book original by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffer (Macmillan Children’s Books), adapted by Magic Light Pictures.

Shortlisted for the final category Book to Audio – which is new this year – are Bad Dad by Walliams (HarperCollins) adapted by HarperCollins, The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaranovitch (Orion) adapted by Orion, and Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (HarperCollins) adapted by Audible.

The CAMEOs are a collaboration between London Book & Screen Week and the Publishers Association to recognise the “integral role” books play within the creative industries as an inspiration for plays, film, TV and games.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony held in Electric Cinema in Notting Hill on Monday 9th April 2018 to coincide with the launch of this year’s London Book & Screen Week (9th-15th April 2018), a seven-day series of events celebrating books and the films, TV programmes and virtual worlds they inspire.

The judges involved in this year’s awards include: Videl Bar Kar, Julian Friedmann, Hannah Griffiths, Eric Huang, John Lomas-Bullivant, Charlotte Longstaff, Helen MacAleer (chair), Jessica Maslen, Billy McQueen, Terri Paddock, Sophie Rochester, Douglas Schatz and Hayley Steed.

Jacks Thomas, director of The London Book Fair and London Book & Screen Week, said: “We are delighted to announce such diverse shortlists in our second year, creations which wonderfully demonstrate the incredible impact of books across our creative industries. We look forward to kicking off the 2018 London Book & Screen Week in style by honouring our shortlistees and announcing our winners at the awards ceremony in April.”