Adapting novels into films with Joanne Harris

Heyer Today

It’s time for Heyer Today, the podcast in which we investigate the life and work of our favourite historical novelist, Georgette Heyer.

We also explore why her books have yet to be made into films, in spite of being utterly delightful. Here to talk to Sara-Mae about that, amongst myriad other things, is none other than Joanne Harris (MBE).

Best known for her delicious and highly successful novel Chocolat, which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche, Joanne is very well placed to be able to talk about the difficulties of adapting a book into film. Not only that, she’s also a huge Heyer fan. We can’t wait to pick her brains about this, as well as her favourite Heyer novels.

She’s been a teacher, with 15 novels and two collections of short stories under her belt as well as dabbling in television, writing screenplays, a musical and three cookbooks.

She’s outspoken about author’s rights, but does so with pith and humour, though she’s not just tweeting about such things, she’s actively adding to the discourse by chairing the Society of Authors (SOA), and being a member of the Board of the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS). I could go on for days about this fabulous woman, who lists her hobbies as “mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion of the system”. Her appetite for life expresses itself through her work and the appreciation she exhibits for beauty in writing which is lyrical, delicate and yet at the same time earthy.

But her greatest skill is evocation, tugging at the threads and sinews that bind the mind and heart. Join Sara-Mae as she tucks in to a tasty discussion of Georgette Heyer and what makes her work so satisfying to those of us who love her.

Learn more:

Quotes taken from this article for The Daily Telegraph in January 2001.

Thanks to Janet Clarkson, from whose blog we found the John Mollard quote

THE ART OF COOKERY by John Mollard (published in 1836)

“French Pupton of Pigeons” recipe in THE LONDON ART OF COOKERY And Housekeepers Complete Assistant by John Farley (published in 1787)

Lauren Gilbert’s blog

You can find Message to Bears here: messagetobears.com

Tom’s music here: tomchadd.bandcamp.com/releases

and Emma’s website is www.emmagatrill.com