Bill Kenwright Films options C L Taylor thriller

C L Taylor’s latest thriller has been snapped up for screen and a possible stage adaptation by Bill Kenwright Films.

Sleep, the sixth thriller from C L Taylor, has been optioned by Bill Kenwright Films, an independent film and television production company, owned by Everton Football Club chairman and producer Bill Kenwright. The TV and stage rights were acquired from Hayley Steed at Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency.

The book follows Anna who takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum to escape the secrets of her past. But when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare.

Published in hardback on 4th April by Avon, it has been shortlisted for Best e-book at the Amazon Publishing Readers’ Awards, and Most Recommended Read at the Cancel All Plans Awards and Dead Good Reader Awards.

Taylor has now sold over one million copies of her books, of which five are Sunday Times bestsellers.

The author said “I am absolutely thrilled that Sleep has been optioned by Bill Kenwright Films. I was impressed by their enthusiasm and vision for a television - and potentially a stage - adaptation of Sleep and look forward to them working their magic on my book.”

C L Taylor is the pen name Cally Taylor uses for her psychological thrillers, under which name she has published three novels with Avon so far, in a partnership that begin with The Accident published in 2014, and continued with novels, The Lie and The Missing.

In 2016, the author signed deals with HarperCollins across three separate imprints, including a "significant" six-figure deal for two further novels with Avon, and a two-book YA thriller deal with HQ.