Cuba buys rights to adapt Lesley Kara debut for TV

Screen rights have been sold in a six-way auction for Lesley Kara's debut The Rumour.

The rights were won by Cuba Pictures, the producers of BBC drama "McMafia", from Emily Hayward-Whitlock at The Artists Partnership on behalf of Amanda Preston at LBA Books. Cuba plans a TV adaptation.

There was an unprecedented response to the material, according to  Hayward-Whitlock. The book is described by publisher Transworld as a, "fresh, exciting, twisty debut exploring with terrifying credibility how rumours can wreck lives" and is loosely inspired by the real-life case of child killer Mary Bell. Transworld bought the book in a "speedy" and "significant" pre-empt earlier this year and will publish in December.

Louise Mountain from Cuba Pictures said:  "We were completely gripped by The Rumour and are excited to be working to bring Kara's brilliant story to the screen."

Kara is an alumna of the Faber Academy 'Writing a Novel' course.