Queenie Returns: Author's Painful TV Adaptation Saga

Author Candice Carty-Williams is set to release a sequel to her acclaimed 2019 novel, Queenie. The follow-up, featuring Queenie in her early thirties, delves into her ongoing personal and romantic life, including a situationship and a rekindled romance.

The novel also tackles significant themes of Black maternal healthcare. Carty-Williams conducted extensive research, which exposed troubling statistics and experiences within the UK's healthcare system for Black women.

Carty-Williams candidly described adapting 'Queenie' for television as her worst professional experience. She stated she attempted to quit the project three times due to creative clashes and a feeling that her story was being misinterpreted.

Despite the challenging television adaptation, Carty-Williams found inspiration for the sequel from her own experiences, including fertility testing and observations on the publishing industry's approach to diversity.

Her debut novel, 'Queenie,' achieved significant success, selling over half a million copies and winning Book of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2020. It was also adapted for television by Channel 4.

Carty-Williams, originally advised against pursuing English literature, found her path into publishing through internships, eventually noticing a lack of representation that spurred her to write her own stories.

Looking ahead, Carty-Williams is exploring new writing forms, including a potential book of essays and a novel focusing on parasocial relationships, while also considering a return to publishing in the future.