Boakyewaa Glover's Circles to be adapted to TV

For sometime now most books have been adapted television; Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibilities and Emma and Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre amongst them. Whereas some television adaptation of books have been successful others have not been so. As of now I have not as yet heard of any Ghanaian novel which has been adapted to television, in the form of a series. I might be absolutely wrong, hence if there is any please let me know.

However, this is about to change. I was watching ETV Ghana when I saw the advert calling on people to audition at the ETV premises for the TV adaptation on Boakyewaa Glover's Circles. After a few search I read the announcement on the author's website:
On Sunday, February 6th, I finalized a contract with ETV Ghana to adapt CIRCLES into a TV show. The show will be produced by ETV, scripted by me and will begin airing June 2011. My book is coming to TV, y’all! (Source)
The auditions are set to begin on February 26, 2011. I have not as yet read this novel, launched on 21st May of last year, but if I get to reading it I would let you know. In the mean time, I want to ask you all: Books and TV Series, which one do you love? There is a trailer on her website.

Comments

  1. Abena Serwaa20 February 2011 at 18:22

    Well, the BBC's Pride and Prejudice series adaptation from 1995 kills me almost every time I see it. Love it! It deviates from the book at many instances but still captures the Austen spirit aptly. Speaking of adaptations, the late Senegalese writer /film-maker Ousmane Sembene refused to make an adaptation of his greatest piece of literay art: Les Bouts des Bois de Dieu (God's bits of woods). I think he was right about that...First of all, it would have probably have been logistically impossible but most of all, a film adaptation would have killed the spirit of the book. It still remains one of the best books I've read in English and in French.
    Now I really have to check out this book "Circles"...

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  2. ImageNations20 February 2011 at 22:06

    Hi Abena, I haven't seen any of these adaptations and my fear has always been what you said: their deviation from the main story. I have watched and read Thorn Birds and a couple of other books which had been turned into movies but I always appreciate the books. Even the recent Harry Potter series. It's always difficult to portray every part of the Hogwarts. And like Ousmane said, it's always not easy to adapt stories to TV so that if it fails it 'kills the spirit of the book'.

    I would look out for this book. You always recommend nice books. I wouldn't forget that it was through you that I got to know Chimamanda.

    I haven't also read Circles due to some personal reasons but I must say that it is tempting me now. I would wish to read it before watching the TV adaptation. There is a discount sales of the book up to February 26.

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  3. Marie Cloutier21 February 2011 at 00:03

    Neat! My favorite is very predicably JANE EYRE but I Loooved PBS's adaptation of Paul Scott's RAJ QUARTET, which they titled after the first book in the series, THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN. Wonderful!

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  4. Myne21 February 2011 at 02:57

    This is an interesting piece of news. I remember that one classic Nigerian novel, Jagua Nana's Daughter by Cyprian Ekwensi was adapted to TV in the eighties or so. I later read the book but the memory of the TV series was then fuzzy. I'll check out Circles.

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  5. ImageNations21 February 2011 at 04:59

    @Marie, haven't heard of this. Learning also. thanks

    ReplyDelete
  6. ImageNations21 February 2011 at 05:08

    @Myne, Good information. At least next time I am writing on books adapted to TV I would know of Jaguar Nana. I really need to read that book since I have heard it being mentioned again and again.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Geosi21 February 2011 at 10:20

    Nana, where are they having the discount sales of Circle. Please let me know.

    ReplyDelete
  8. ImageNations21 February 2011 at 10:33

    @Geosi, Silverbirds Lifestyle shop, Accra mall

    ReplyDelete
  9. Amy22 February 2011 at 20:58

    I'm not sure if I've seen any books to tv adaptation but this sounds really neat that they are doing one there! I'll have to check out the book.

    ReplyDelete
  10. ImageNations23 February 2011 at 07:46

    @Amy, I haven't as yet read it but at least it's good it's coming to TV, that's if it doesn't destroy the book.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Stefania - The Italian Backpacker23 February 2011 at 13:30

    Sometimes they deviate from the book but still manage to have a good result. I am skeptical of TV series though. A book has a certain unity, whereas YV series are more episodic. It depends on the book of course.

    ReplyDelete
  12. ImageNations23 February 2011 at 14:11

    @Stefania, Yes they do deviate sometimes because they have to make it work. Someone told me that the TV series Lost is based on Lord of the Flies. And there are huge deviations in there.

    ReplyDelete

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