Booker Prize books that have been adapted for film and television

Disgrace, Heat and Dust, Hotel du Lac, Last Orders, Life of Pi , Midnight’s Children, Oscar and Lucinda, Possession, Rites of Passage (re-named To The Ends of the Earth), Schindler’s Ark (re-named Schindler’s List), The English Patient, The Line of Beauty, The Remains of the Day, The Sea, The Sense of an Ending, The White Tiger, Troubles, True History of the Kelly Gang and Wolf Hall.

Disgrace (2008) - Set in post-apartheid South Africa, a professor’s complacency contributes to his utter downfall. Based on J.M. Coetzee’s 1999 novel of the same name, it was adapted for the screen by Anna Maria Monticelli and directed by her husband Steve Jacobs, and stars John Malkovich and Jessica Haines in the lead roles.  Trailer >>

Heat and Dust (1983) - A British historical romantic drama, with a screenplay written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, based on her own 1975 novel. Directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant, it stars Greta Scacchi, Shashi Kapoor and Julie Christie. Heat and Dust was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival and earned eight nominations at the 1984 BAFTAs, including Best Film, and went on to win Best Adapted Screenplay for the author.  Trailer >>

Hotel du Lac (1986) - A television adaptation of 1984’s winning novel by Anita Brookner. It stars Anna Massey and Denholm Elliott and was directed by Giles Foster. The story focuses on a novelist who takes refuge from life in a hotel on the misty shores of Lake Geneva.  Trailer >>

Last Orders (2001) - Sorrow and resentment mingle with passion and regret in Graham Swift’s 1996 testament to a changing England, and enduring mortality. The film adaptation, written and directed by Fred Schepisi, stars a who’s who of British film acting talent, including Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, David Hemmings, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren and Ray Winstone.  Trailer >>

To the Ends of the Earth (2005) – Adapted from the book Rites of Passage by William Golding which won the Booker Prize in 1980, this is a haunting account of an epic sea journey, which profoundly affects all those who set sail on it. The tv series stars Benedict Cumberbatch and includes all three books in Golding’s Sea Trilogy. Produced for the BBC, it was directed by David Attwood and was nominated for six BAFTA awards.  Trailer >>

Schindler’s List (1993) ​​- The story of Oskar Schindler, a womaniser and drinker who was transformed by the war into a man with a mission, risking his life to protect beleaguered Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland. The 1982 Thomas Kineally book was published originally as Schindler’s Ark. The US version of the book was titled Schindler’s List, and this title was used for the hugely successful film adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg. The film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, as well as seven BAFTAs and three Golden Globes.  Trailer >>

The English Patient (1996) – This epic wartime screen romance was written and directed by the late Anthony Minghella, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Michael Ondaatje. The film, which stars Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Juliette Binoche, Willem Defoe and Colin Firth, won nine Oscars, five BAFTAs and two Golden Globes.  Trailer >>

The Line of Beauty (2006) - This BBC three-part drama series, written by Andrew Davies and directed by Saul Dibb, is an adaptation of the 2004 book by Alan Hollinghurst. The story follows a young British man as he loses his innocence and gets caught up in the boom years of the 80s. Included in its large cast are Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens, Blackadder’s Tim McInnerny and the MCU’s Hayley Atwell.  Trailer >>

Troubles (1988) – J.G. Farrell’s novel was adapted into a tv film, produced by London Weekend Television. It stars Ian Charleson, Ian Richardson and Emer Gillespie, in a story set during the period of Northern Ireland’s history commonly referred to as ‘The Troubles’. In 2010, the book was the winner of the Lost Man Booker Prize, a special retrospective award. 

True History of the Kelly Gang (2019) - Portraying Ned Kelly as orphan, Oedipus, horse thief, farmer, bushranger, reformer, bank-robber, police-killer and, finally, his country’s beloved Robin Hood. By the time of his hanging in 1880, a whole country would seem to agree he was ‘the best bloody man that has ever been in Benalla’. This well-received film version of the 2001 Peter Carey book stars George MacKay, Russell Crowe and Essie Davis, and was directed by Justin Kursel.  Trailer >>

Wolf Hall (2015) - This six-part historical fiction series is a TV adaptation of two of Hilary Mantel’s novels, 2009’s Wolf Hall and 2012’s Bring Up the Bodies. It follows the rapid rise to power of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII, as the son of a humble blacksmith becomes a chief minister of state. The series was a critical success and received eight Emmy nominations, eight BAFTA nominations, winning three of them, and three Golden Globe nominations, winning for Best Miniseries or Television Film. Directed by Peter Kosminsky, with a screenplay written by Peter Straughan, it features an impressive cast, which includes Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Claire Foy, Joanne Whalley and Jonathan Pryce.  Trailer >>

A Month in the Country (1987) - With a screenplay by Simon Gray and directed by Pat O’Connor, the film is an adaptation of the 1980 book by J.L. Carr and stars Colin Firth, Natasha Richardson, Patrick Malahide and Kenneth Branagh. Set in rural Yorkshire during the summer of 1920, the film follows a destitute WWI veteran employed to carry out restoration work on a medieval mural in a rural church, while coming to terms with the after-effects of the war.  Trailer >>

An Artist of the Floating World (2019) - This made-for-TV film adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 1986 novel stars Natsuko Akiyama, Shunsuke Daitô and Masato Hagiwara, and is directed by Kazuki Watanabe. The story follows a prominent painter’s struggles to adjust to his new environment after WWII, which then forces him to confront his past role as a propaganda artist.  Trailer >>

An Awfully Big Adventure (1995) - With an adapted screenplay by Charles Wood, this film version of the 1990 shortlisted Beryl Bainbridge novel, was directed by Mike Newell. Lead roles in the film feature some of the UK’s top acting talent, among them Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant. Although it’s set in Liverpool in the aftermath of WWII the film was actually shot mostly in Ireland using Dublin’s Olympia Theatre as the setting for the play. The coming-of-age tale follows the teenage Stella and her interactions with the colourful characters involved in a stage production of Peter Pan.  Trailer >>

Arthur & George (2015) – The screenplay for this three-part British television drama was written by Ed Whitmore, based on the 2005 book by Julian Barnes, which was itself based on the real-life Great Wyrley Outrages of 1903. The story follows Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his trusted secretary as they investigate the strange case of a young Anglo-Indian solicitor, imprisoned for allegedly mutilating animals and writing obscene letters. Martin Clunes stars as Arthur Conan Doyle, alongside Arsher Ali, Charles Edwards, Art Malik and Emma Fielding.  Trailer >>

Atonement (2007) – This romantic war drama was directed by Joe Wright and stars James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan, and Vanessa Redgrave. Based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Ian McEwan, the film chronicles a crime and its consequences over the course of six decades, beginning in the 1930s. Atonement received seven Golden Globe nominations, winning two, including Best Motion Picture Drama. The film also received 14 BAFTA nominations, including Best Film, Best British Film and Best Director, and seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.  Trailer >>

Elena Sabe (2023) (Elena Knows) A Netflix production starring Mercedes Morán and Érica Rivas, the film is directed by acclaimed Argentinean filmmaker Anahí Berneri who co-wrote the screenplay with Gabriela Larralde. It’s adapted from the book Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro, which was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2022. Filmed in Buenos Aires, the film depicts the story of woman with progressing Parkinson’s disease leading a relentless investigation into finding those responsible for the sudden death of her daughter.  Trailer>>

Eileen (2023) - Based on the novel by Ottessa Moshfegh, William Oldroyd directs the film adaptation of Eileen, starring Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway. Shortlisted for the Booker in 2016, this taut psychological thriller sees a young woman pushed into complicity in a crime that surpasses her wildest imaginings.  Trailer>>

Empire of the Sun (1987) - This epic coming-of-age war film, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tom Stoppard, is based on J.G. Ballard’s semi-autobiographical 1984 book. The film tells the story of a young boy, played by Christian Bale, who goes from living with his wealthy British family in Shanghai to becoming a prisoner of war in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Empire of the Sun was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Cinematography, Original Music Score and Sound, and also nominated for Best Motion Picture (Drama) and Original Score at the Golden Globe Awards. It won three BAFTA awards for cinematography, sound design and music score, with nominations for three more.  Trailer>>

Figures in a Landscape (1970) - Directed by Joseph Losey and written by and starring Robert Shaw. Based on the 1968 book by Barry England, this is a powerful account of two escaped prisoners’ desperate attempt to outrun their pursuers across a dangerous and alien landscape.  Trailer>>

Patrick Melrose (2016) was a TV series adapted by writer David Nicholls from Edward St Aubyn’s set of autobiographical novels, including the 2006 Booker shortlisted Mother’s Milk. Directed by Edward Berger, it stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Patrick, with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Hugo Weaving as his parents and Anna Madeley as his wife. Based on the author’s own life, this dark comedy drama follows Patrick, both now and in flashbacks to growing up in a highly dysfunctional upper-class English family, struggling with abuse and trauma.  Trailer >>

Mother’s Milk had also been made into a feature film released in 2011, with a screenplay written by St Aubyn and director Gerald Fox. This adaptation starred Jack Davenport, Adrian Dunbar, Diana Quick, and Margaret Tyzack.  Trailer >>

Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2005) - A comedy drama based on the 1971 novel by Elizabeth Taylor. Directed by Dan Ireland, with a screenplay by Ruth Sacks Caplin, the film stars Joan Plowright and Rupert Friend. The story centres on the recently widowed Mrs Palfrey who arrives at the Claremont Hotel to eke out her remaining days and strikes up an unlikely friendship with an impoverished young writer, who sees her as inspiration for his novel.  Trailer>>

Never Let Me Go (2010) - This British dystopian romantic tragedy is based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2005 novel. Directed by Mark Romanek from a screenplay by Alex Garland, the story is set in an alternative history and centres on Kathy, Ruth and Tommy - portrayed by Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield, respectively - who become entangled in a love triangle.  Trailer>>

Notes on a Scandal (2006) - This psychological thriller was directed by Richard Eyre and adapted from the 2003 novel of the same name by Zoë Heller, with the screenplay written by Patrick Marber. The film stars Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett and centres on a lonely veteran teacher who uncovers a fellow teacher’s illicit affair with an underage student. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, three BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and was the winner of many other awards around the world.  Trailer>>

On Chesil Beach (2017) - Directed by Dominic Cooke and adapted by Ian McEwan from his own 2007 book. It stars Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle and tells the story of virgins, Florence and Edward, and their first disastrous attempt at having sex on their wedding night. The initial experience, and their differing responses to the failure, have lifelong consequences for both.  Trailer>>

Staying On (1980) - This television adaptation of Paul Scott’s 1977 sequel to The Jewel in the Crown stars Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson as the Colonel and his wife, deciding to stay on in India post independence, despite the general expat exodus to England and the Colonel’s failing health. The film was directed by Silvio Nasizzano, with the screenplay written by Julian Mitchell.  Trailer>>

St Urbain’s Horsemen (2007) - A Canadian two-part television drama based on the novel by Mordecai Richler that tells the story of Jake, a film director of modest success and a man in disgrace. His alter ego, his cousin Joey - Nazi-hunter, adventurer, hero of the Spanish Civil War - is the avenging horseman of Jake’s impotent dreams. The series boasts an impressive cast including David Julian Hirsh, Selina Giles, Elliott Gould and Andrea Martin, with a screenplay written by Gerald Wexler and Joe Wiesenfeld and directed by Peter Moss.

The Bookshop (2017) - Written and directed by Isabel Coixet, the film is based on the 1978 book by Penelope Fitzgerald, in which the lead character attempts to open a bookshop in the coastal town of Hardborough, Suffolk, against local - and vocal - opposition. Starring Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson and Bill Nighy.

The Butcher Boy (1997) - This black comedy was directed by Neil Jordan based on Patrick McCabe’s 1992 novel. McCabe co-wrote the screenplay with Jordan. Set in 1960s Ireland, The Butcher Boy is about a 12-year-old boy who retreats into a violent fantasy world to escape the reality of his dysfunctional family. 

The Handmaid’s Tale (1990) - The film adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel was directed by Volker Schlöndorff, and stars Natasha Richardson, Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall, Aidan Quinn and Elizabeth McGovern. The screenplay was written by playwright Harold Pinter, and the original music score was composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

The Handmaid’s Tale (2017) - The hugely successful TV series adaptation from Bruce Miller of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel goes beyond the original book, running as it does for six seasons. Atwood serves as consulting producer on The Handmaid’s Tale series, contributing to storyline development. She also can be spotted playing a small cameo role in the first episode of this series that stars Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Alexis Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle and Max Minghella. The series has won a cabinet-full of Emmy, BAFTA, Golden Globe and other awards.

The Little Stranger (2018) - Gothic drama directed by Lenny Abrahamson and written by Lucinda Coxon, based on the 2009 book by Sarah Waters. Set in 1948, the plot follows a doctor who visits an old house where his mother used to work, only to discover it may hold a dark secret. The film stars Domhnall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson, Will Poulter and Charlotte Rampling.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012) - With a screenplay written by William Wheeler and directed by Mira Nair, this film stars Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Liev Schreiber and Kiefer Sutherland. Based on the book by Mohsin Hamid, this is a post-9/11 story about the impact of the terrorist attacks on one Pakistani-born man, now a Princeton graduate working on Wall Street, and his treatment by Americans in the aftermath. The film won multiple awards at film festivals around the world.

The Van (1996) - Based on the novel by Roddy Doyle, who also wrote the screenplay, the film was directed by Stephen Frears. It stars Colm Meaney and Donal O’Kelly and is based on the hilarious third novel in Doyle’s Barrytown trilogy, which focuses on the senior Jimmy Rabbitte and his hugely unsuccessful business venture.

Waterland (1992) - Directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal and starring Jeremy Irons, Sinéad Cusack, Ethan Hawke and John Heard. The film is based on Graham Swift’s 1983 book, with a location change from England to Pittsburgh in a screenplay written by Peter Prince.

Any Human Heart, Normal People, The North Water, The Underground Railroad, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Mirror & the Light and Us 

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (2024) – The creative team behind the BBC’s BAFTA-winning TV adaptation of the first two books in Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy returned in 2024 with a six-part series adapted from the final book, which was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2022. Mark Rylance (Thomas Cromwell) and Damian Lewis (Henry VIII) reprise their roles, as events follow the execution of Anne Boleyn and the King’s plans to marry his third wife, Jane Seymour (Kate Phillips). 

Any Human Heart (2010) - Based on William Boyd’s 2002 Booker-longlisted novel, Channel 4’s four-part TV adaptation stars Jim Broadbend, Matthew Macfadyen and Sam Claflin as Logan Mountstuart, whose varied life, career and travels as, among other things, a writer, art-dealer and spy, bring him into the orbit of a number of well-known figures of the 20th century. The series won Best Drama Serial at the 2011 BAFTA television awards. 

Normal People (2020) - The BBC and Hulu adaptation of Normal People took Sally Rooney’s book to new audiences and gained a lot of attention in the process. Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal in the roles of Marianne and Connell, the adaptation of Normal People aired in 2020. The Independent called it ‘a beautiful, pitch-perfect adaptation that captures all the intensity and longing of the novel’. The Bafta-winning 12 part series was filmed on location in Ireland, Italy and Sweden. The screenplay was written by Rooney, along with Alice Birch and it was directed by Lenny Abrahamson.

The North Water (2021) - A five-part television miniseries set in 1859 about a disgraced former military doctor who joins the crew of a whaling boat bound for the Arctic. His attempt at redemption becomes a battle to survival amongst the violent and murderous crew members, as a plot to scupper the vessel for the insurance money goes horrifyingly awry. With a star-studded cast that includes Colin Farrell, Stephen Graham, Jack O’Connell, Tom Courtenay and Peter Mullan, it was a co-production between the BBC and Canada’s CBC. The series was directed by Andrew Haigh, who also wrote the screenplay. The thriller was based on the novel by Ian McGuire, longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2016 and the TV series was nominated for multiple awards in Canada and internationally.

The Underground Railroad (2021) - Amazon Prime’s limited series, created and directed by Barry Jenkins, is based on the 2016 Colson Whitehead novel about a young woman who makes an amazing discovery during her attempt to break free from slavery in America’s deep south. It stars Thuso Mbedu, Chase W. Dillon, Joel Edgerton, Fred Hechinger and Peter Mullan. The series won the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries or Television Film and the BAFTA for Best International Programme, and was nominated for many other awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023) - Rachel Joyce’s first novel was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2012 and the film’s screenplay was also written by Joyce. Directed by BAFTA winner Hettie Macdonald (‘Howards End’, ‘Normal People’), it stars Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton.

Us (2020) - A BBC four-part television comedy-drama series based on the book by author David Nicholls and adapted by him for the screen. The series stars Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves and is directed by Geoffrey Sax, featuring original music composed by Oli Julian.

Love in the Big City - Originally written by Sang-young Park, this is the story of a writer who is HIV positive and depicts Seoul’s young carefree generation in their glittering night-time world, and the bleary-eyed morning after. The book, divided into four novelettes (and translated into English by Anton Hur) was longlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize. Park has been involved in the production of the screenplay and four different directors are producing two episodes each, with one of these producers, Hong Ji-yeong, also acting as executive creator. Love in the Big City aired on Korean channel TVING

Fans of literary awards will no doubt have enjoyed the film American Fiction, adapted from the book Erasure by Percival Everett and now his Booker Prize 2024 shortlisted novel James has had the film rights acquired by Universal Pictures. Stephen Spielberg will be executive producing the film and Taika Waititi has been mentioned as a possible director. With Everett writing the adapted screenplay himself and also executive producing the film, we can look forward to a film that does cinematic justice to this reimagining of the timeless Huckleberry Finn story. (Release date tbc)

Shuggie Bain (release date tbc) - Author Douglas Stuart, who won the 2020 Booker Prize with this novel, will be adapting the story himself for this TV series, commissioned by BBC and due to be filmed in Scotland. The book is based in Glasgow, and tells the heartbreaking story of an alcoholic mother who dreams of the glamorous life she was supposed to have had, as her son juggles taking care of her and struggling to be a ‘normal’ boy.

The Memory Police (release date tbc) 2024 Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee Lily Gladstone is due to star in The Memory Police. The story takes place on an island where the residents are subject to collective amnesia, unable to recall people or daily tasks with the amnesia enforced by an organization called the Memory Police and follows a novelist trying to keep her editor, who can still remember, hidden away from them. It’s adapted by Charlie Kaufman from the original novel, released back in 1994. The English translation of the book, published in 2019, was shortlisted for the 2020 International Booker Prize. Reed Morano will be directing and Martin Scorsese will executive produce along with Yoko Ogawa, the original book’s author.

Trust (release date tbc) - Emmy-winning actor Kate Winslet is both producing and starring in this HBO limited series. The original book was written by Hernan Diaz who is also an executive producer of the television series. This 2022 Booker Prize longlisted novel begins in the roaring twenties and follows the Rasks, a Wall Street tycoon and wealthy aristocrat heiress. Together, they have risen to the very top - but at what cost have they acquired their immense fortune? A literary puzzle about money, power, and intimacy, Trust challenges the myths shrouding wealth, and the fictions that often pass for history.

An adaptation of Esi Edugyan’s Washington Black is in production as a nine-part series (Release date tbc). The story follows the young George Washington ‘Wash’ Black, chronicling his escape from slavery in Barbados and his subsequent adventures with the eclectic array of characters he meets along the way. The novel was shortlisted for the 2018 Booker Prize. Most of the filming has been taking place in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia and the impressive cast list of familiar faces features both Ernest Kingsley Jr. and Eddie Katanga in the lead role, along with Tom Ellis, Sterling K. Brown (also exec producing), Julian Rhind-Tutt, Iola Evans, Billy Boyd, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Edward Bluemel, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Rupert Graves, Shaunette Renée Wilson and the great Charles Dance. Selwyn Seyfu Hinds is exec producing and adapting the novel and will be showrunner for the series alongside series writer Jennifer Johnson. The directors are Wanuri Kahiu and Mo Marable.