Style Observer (SO) caught up with celebrated Jamaican-born author Sara Collins last Sunday afternoon at her London home. She is understandably on a high. Her debut novel — The Confessions of Frannie Langton, the brilliantly searing depiction of race, class, and oppression that copped the Costa First Novel Award in 2019 for her haunting tale of Frannie Laughton — has been commissioned by ITV‘s Head of Drama Polly Hill and ITV Drama Commissioner Chloe Tucker. The four-part drama, produced by Drama Republic (it’s Drama Republic’s first ITV commission) and adapted by author and writer Sara Collins from her page-turning novel has, according to an ITV press release, commenced filming in Yorkshire.

SO: Congrats, Sara. You know we need the back story.

Sara Collins (SC): The book was optioned just before publication by a UK production company called Drama Republic. The production process has been led by Greg Brenman, who has producing credits, including Peaky Blinders and US on the BBC [British Broadcasting Corporation] recently, and Rebecca De Souza at Drama Republic. It was then commissioned from them for development into a TV series by ITV, who hired me to write the adaptation myself, and so I’ve been working on that, as well as being an executive producer myself for the series.

The ITV commission has been led by Polly Hill, who is the chief commissioner, and Chloe Tucker at ITV. The series is being directed by Andrea Haken, who last directed The Trial of Christine Keeler for the BBC.

SO: How involved are you in the series?

SC: I have been consulted on casting, but I have been really delighted also to leave it up to the producers and directors. And I’ve been stunned by some of the choices, and, having now had a chance to listen to the actors, prepare their performances at the read-through, and also to see some images from set, I know that the cast is exactly as it should be.

SO: How has it been?

SC: Because I’ve been doing the adaptation, it’s been a really interesting process, because I have tried actually to do something different for television to include more pace, to focus more on the story as a murder mystery and a complicated Gothic romance. And it’s involved me taking something I thought was finished, and that I had worked quite hard to finish, mainly the novel, and breaking it down to its constituent parts, and then reassembling it into something that I hope is a refreshing new take, but that retains the heart of the old material that readers have responded to.

SO: You have shared how thrilled you are with the selection of Karla-Simone Spence. Would you like to elaborate?

SC: What is also important for me is that this is a major period drama, having been commissioned for British television, but featuring a black woman, and a Jamaican woman at that, in the lead role, which is hugely, hugely significant. I have always said that one of the reasons I wrote the novel is because I wanted to put a Jamaican woman in Jane Austen territory. And every time I see pictures of the wonderful Karla-Simone Spence, who is playing Frannie in her period costumes, it just reaffirms to me that, that is exactly what we are doing.

SO: Kudos to you! Mission Accomplished! Any word yet on the premiere?

SC: The premiere is up to ITV. It’s going to be broadcast next year, but the exact transmission dates, I think, are still being worked out. We have only just started filming and there is quite a long process. It’s a 12-week shoot, and then there will be an editorial and post-production process after that. And I will certainly keep you posted about those plans and about any arrangements to celebrate the premiere as well.

SO: What else are you up to?

SC: I actually am now moving on to write two new series. One is an adaptation of another novel, not my own, which I’m really excited about. And another is an original idea for a major studio production company here, which I am just thoroughly excited about. I don’t think I’m at liberty to share more yet, but when I am I’m going to make sure I let you know.