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Surrey, B.C., Canada
I have always been an avid reader and history has always been a passion of mine. I am a huge historical fiction fan, who also enjoys reading gothic tales with chills and thrills, mystery and suspense and who loves stepping back in time..... A quote I once read stated: I don't live in the past..the past lives in me!.. Perhaps that's why I am a Family History/Genealogy Addict too!

Saturday 30 August 2014

A major deal has been struck for the film rights to Irish Independent columnist and author Martina Devlin's latest novel, The House Where It Happened.

From the Irish Independent - http://www.independent.i.e
Published 30/08/2014 | 02:30
John Spain

A major deal has been struck for the film rights to Irish Independent columnist and author Martina Devlin's latest novel, The House Where It Happened.

The gothic novel, inspired by Ireland's only mass witchcraft trial which took place in Antrim in 1711, is published on Monday. Eight women were prosecuted for witchcraft - the last conviction for the felony in Ireland.

The rights to the book have been optioned by Samson Films, the company that made the Oscar-winning film Once starring Glen Hansard. Samson's productions also include The Sea, the recent adaptation of John Banville's novel, starring Ciaran Hinds and Sinead Cusack, and the comedy-drama Run and Jump.

"I stumbled across the story which forms the basis for my novel by chance," Devlin said. "I was flicking through a newspaper, and paused at the 'It Happened This Day' column. It said that on this day, in April 1711, eight women were convicted of witchcraft at the spring Assizes in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim.

"I thought there must be some mistake. There hadn't been any mass witchcraft trials in Ireland, surely? They had happened in Salem in Massachusetts, and in Scotland - in other parts of Europe.

"I felt compelled to dig deeper - and the more questions which were answered, the more questions I had. The trial caused a sensation at the time, and hinged on an 18-year-old named Mary Dunbar who arrived in the community and almost immediately started complaining about being tormented by witches."

International bestseller Joseph O'Connor said he was "utterly gripped by the book's power".

In an unusual move, the deal for The House Where It Happened, published by Ward River Press, was struck even before the novel was published.

Devlin's awards include the Royal Society of Literature's VS Pritchett Prize, and a Hennessy Literary Award. Her previous books include Ship of Dreams and Banksters.

Irish Independent

2 comments:

  1. Sounds like a fascinating story and definitely on my TBR list! Delighted that it's going to be turned into a movie too :) Can't believe I'm an Irish author living in Ireland and only discovered this article on your blog!!

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  2. Evie, thank you so much for leaving a comment. I enjoyed reading this book very much and soon I will leave my review on here. In the meantime, I checked out your site and your book The Cross of Santiago, sounds intriguing I will have to give it a read. I have also mentioned your book on my FB group called Historical and Time Slip Novels Book Club. I am sure the members of this group will be interested in your first novel. You are more than welcome to join our FBP group as we have a number of wonderful Authors/Writers who along with other booklovers as members of this group. Carole

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