TV deal for Fellowes' Mitford Murders

Jessica Fellowes’ debut novel The Mitford Murders (Sphere) has been optioned for television by Left Bank Pictures, producers of "The Crown". 

The book, which publishes with Sphere on 14th September 2017, is a series of Golden Age mysteries, the first of which is based upon the real-life unsolved crime of the murder of Florence Nightingale’s goddaughter, found killed on a train in 1920. Each subsequent novel will focus on a different Mitford sister, with intricate historical detail interwoven with a compelling murder mystery.

It caused a stir in March of this year at the London Book Fair, sparking a wave of pre-empts. To date, the book has sold in 14 foreign territories, including in a "major" two book six-figure deal to St Martin’s Press in the US.

The deal optioning TV rights was done between Andy Hine, rights director of Little, Brown Book Group, Lucinda Prain of Cassarotto Associates, and Sophie Clarke-Jervoise of Left Bank. Fellowes is represented by Caroline Michel of PFD.

Left Bank Pictures, a film and television independent production company set up by chief executive Andy Harries and m.d. Marigo Kehoe, has produced drama series for the BBC, ITV1, Sky1 HD, and HBO, as well as two comedy series for E4 and motion pictures for Sony Pictures.

Fellowes is also the author of the official tie-in books to Downton Abbey, which TV series her uncle Julian Fellowes created, and the former deputy editor of Country Life and columnist for the Mail on Sunday.