“MIDNIGHT IN PEKING” BY PAUL FRENCH TO BECOME A MAJOR TV DRAMA SERIES

Posted: April 17th, 2012 | 9 Comments »

“MIDNIGHT IN PEKING” BY PAUL FRENCH

TO BECOME A MAJOR TV DRAMA SERIES

RIGHTS TO PENGUIN CHINA TITLE SOLD TO KUDOS TELEVISION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, LONDON, APRIL 16, 2012:

The international publishing company Penguin is pleased to announce the sale of television serial rights to Midnight in Peking by Paul French to Kudos Television, producers of “Spooks”, for adaptation into a major international TV mini-series.

“Midnight in Peking” tells the true story of the previously unsolved murder of British teenager Pamela Werner in January, 1937. On the eve of the Japanese invasion of the Chinese city, the international community was living out its final days in denial, believing life could never change. Then, the body of Pamela Werner was discovered, dumped beneath the desolate Fox Tower. One of their own, she was the daughter of a retired diplomat and renowned Sinologist, and her death shook the tightly knit society to its core. When police investigations inevitably turned to the foreign pleasure dens selling opium, girls, and blue movies in the Peking Badlands, the British authorities quickly closed ranks, allowing the culprit to escape into the maelstrom of World War II.

In a truly stunning work of meticulous research, Paul French has woven a rich tapestry of the end of an era in old China, and uncovered the murderer behind this terrible crime. Jo Lusby, Managing Director, Penguin China, who initially acquired the book for publication, said: “Midnight in Peking reveals a period of China’s recent international history that is largely ignored. With its jazz halls, opium dens, and colourful cast of characters, this is a book that is ideally suited for television adaptation, and I am thrilled that a company of the caliber of Kudos Television has taken it on with such commitment and enthusiasm.”

Jane Featherstone, Chief Executive of Kudos Television, said: “We are incredibly excited about bringing this extraordinary story to screen. Midnight in Peking has the kind of scale and landscape rarely seen on television and our ambition is to create an outstanding, distinctive, mini-series made with the highest-profile talent and cinematic production values. This story is so immersive, layered, gripping, and full of truly startling reveals that it naturally lends itself to the longer story format that television uniquely offers.”

Already a #1 bestseller in Asia, Midnight in Peking will be published by Penguin in the US on April 21 2012, followed by the UK on May 31. Publishing rights have already been sold for the Italian and Norwegian languages.

Midnight in Peking by Paul French

ISBN INFORMATION

China: 9780670080922 Australia: 9780143567523 USA: 9780143121008 UK: 9780670921072

For more information, please contact Abi Howell (abi.howell@cn.penguingroup.com) at Penguin China publicity, or Sue Swift (sswift@kudosfilmandtv.com) at Kudos Television.

Notes for Editors

About Penguin Books

Penguin is one of the world’s leading consumer publishers. It is home to other famous names such as Dorling Kindersley, Puffin, Ladybird and Rough Guides and publishes close to 4,000 titles every year for adults and children in fiction and non-fiction, from timeless classics to the hottest bestsellers. Penguin has offices in 15 countries including the US, UK, Australia, South Africa, India and China.

About Penguin China

Penguin China was established in 2005, and works to develop the availability of English language imported books from the UK and US, establishes Chinese language publishing partnerships, and acquires 5-8 titles per year on and from China for international publication. Authors include Wang Xiaofang, He Jiahong, Paul French, Liu Heung-Shing and Karen Smith, among others. Titles are translations from Chinese and originally written in English and include both fiction and non-fiction.

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