Streatham's answer to Jackie Collins set for big screen success
10 Mar 2011
Gillian Hudson in talks to turn debut novel Rendezvous into steamy film
An author from Streatham dubbed South London's own 'Jackie Collins' may see her debut novel played out on the Big Screen, it emerged yesterday.
Gillian Hudson has been approached by a local film production company to turn her raunchy novel 'Rendezvous' into a steamy flick.
Incredibly Gillian, 42, completed the book in her spare time while studying for an MBA and working full-time as a senior business manager.
The married former banker is now "hopeful" that the deal with PromoVideo Productions - believed to be worth up to £50,000 - will go ahead.
Gillian was yesterday tight-lipped about the offer.
But she said: "Negotiations are still in early stages, but it has been highly encouraging.
"I can't go into too much detail but my literary agent thinks the book would translate well into a film, which is also thrilling for a writer to hear."
Rendezvous, Gillian's début novel, tells the tale of a high-flying couple living what appears to be the life of luxury in London.
Secretly, however, they are desperately unhappy and find solace in sordid affairs.
The 372-page book, written over two years from 2009, is quickly winning the attention of critics and readers alike.
It was spotted by PromoVideo Productions after Gillian mailed a preview copy to the London-based firm "on the off-chance".
If the agreement goes ahead, filming could start within 12 months.
Gillian, whose steamy sex scenes were inspired by the likes of Jackie Collins and Jilly Cooper, says the "super-charged energy" of the book was drawn from real-life experiences of friends.
"I sourced a lot of the plot from experiences that my friends have had over the years, which was a great way to bring some realism into the book, rather than glossing over the less palatable things about life," she said.
Gillian, who moved to the UK from Trinidad in 1993, says that writing the book has given her "great confidence" in herself after missing out on a media career.
"I studied English and communications at University and always wanted to go into the media," she added.
"In the end real-life kicked in and I had to take a job to pay the bills, missing out on my dream career.
"The success of the book means so much to me because I feel that I have been vindicated on that choice, and feel that I would have made it in a media career had I had the opportunity to pursue it."
Gillian is now working on two sequels, and added: "Ultimately I would love to see them picked up as films as well. It would be great to get a trilogy of films under my belt in the next couple of years."
Rendezvous is out now priced at £12.99. For more information, go to: www.gillianhudson.com
ISBN: 9781453568118
By Simon Harrison
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