The Oscars should be the Authors Awards
AWARD-WINNING BOOKS TO FILMS
We need to be reminded of our value as writers. That’s the point of Writers Are Superstars. It’s to show you that all throughout pop culture, we’re the ones who are often leading the way.
The problem is that we take our credit silently. We aren’t the ones front and center enjoying the fame, stardom, or monetary opportunities that come with being in the headlines. Writers Are Superstars is out to change that.
Here’s a simple example: the Oscars just happened. And if you know anything about film, it’s not an exaggeration to say that they depend on literature to create a lot of their movies. All of the superhero films are taken from comic books, but we’re not even gonna go there right now. I’ll have someone more experienced than me in that world do a guest post one day and tell you all about the role comics play in film.
And before I even get to the award-winning book to films, here are a few books that hit the screen in 2022:
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (loved this book, didn’t care much for the movie)
Persuasion by Jane Austen (Classic!)
The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
My Policeman by Bethan Roberts
This is actually a super short list. I left out dozens of others including The Black Phone (20th Century Ghosts) by Joe Hill, Salem’s Lot by Stephen King, White Bird by R.J Palacio, and The Lord of the Rings prequel which I watched and thoroughly enjoyed.
You getting the point?
Now let’s turn to the winners. Or actually, let’s talk about the nominees. There are so many books to film/TV that just getting nominated deserves some acknowledgment.
Special shout out to All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque. This book was first published back in 1929 and has already been adapted twice. In fact, it won two Oscars for the original adaptation. At the 2023 Oscars, it took home four awards. Talk about a superstar novel and novelist.
OK, on to the other book to film nominations:
Women Talking by Mariam Toews (the director who adapted this, Sarah Polley, is a fellow Canadian so double shout out)
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy (film title is “Living”)
Foster by Claire Keegan (film title is The Quiet Girl)
Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates
Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Parris by Paul Gallico (Film title is Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris)
What an incredible lineup of award-winning (nominated) titles. Stuff like this gets me so excited. I love to see the work we put in as writers get some shine, even if they don’t publicly state where these stories originated.
That’s what Writers Are Superstars is here for. We’re gonna keep screaming until everyone pays attention to who we are. What YOU need to do is spread this message. Share these posts, celebrate other writers, let people know how much we truly contribute to popular culture. That’s how more opportunities will be created and how we can get a bigger piece of the pie.