Hints of ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Narcos’: A Look at Literary Works Being Pitched for Screen Adaptations at Iberseries & Platino Industria

If you need any proof of the potential for literary works from the Spanish-speaking world to be adapted for the screen, you need to look no further than YA bestseller author Mercedes Ron’s success with Prime Video and Banijay’s Pokeepsie Films production banner with the likes of the Fault trilogy and the recently launched Drawn Together. Literary Works Pitch for Audiovisual Adaptation, a new initiative developed by Iberseries & Platino Industria in collaboration with the Federation of Publishers Guilds of Spain (FGEE) and featured at this year’s sixth edition in Madrid running Sept. 29-Oct. 2, looks to connect publishers and literary agencies with production companies, streamers, studios and TV networks to feed their search for new intellectual properties. Following a call for submissions, organizers selected 14 works from Spain and Mexico and one each from Germany and Argentina. The stories come from different genres, times and settings. Here is a look at the projects being pitched at Madrid: Alguien como tú by Xavier BoschAgencia Literaria Antonia Kerrigan, SpainThe Catalan author’s novel centers on an intense, cross-border affair between a married woman from Barcelona and an art gallery owner from Paris, with the woman’s daughter later trying to piece together details of the clandestine romance. Alka I. La mujer del infinito by Yaiza NicolásYaiza Nicolás, SpainThe thriller-like adventure spanning three generations of women journeying through time revolves around a substance that prolongs youth and extends the boundaries of life. Así en la tierra como debajo de la tierra by Ana Paula MaiaScenic Rights, SpainA penal colony in a remote spot in Brazil is in its waning days, and its warden unleashes a horror scenario: every full moon, a selection of inmates is released, only to be hunted down with weapons. Cuando te atrevas a sentir by Tamara MolinaAgencia Literaria Antonia Kerrigan, SpainNaila feels like a failure and has no clear goal in life. Bruno always succeeds and has a well-paying job that does not make him happy, but fears that quitting would make him a loser. But these two very different people may find comfort in each other.Cuando vi a la muerte prestar su sombrero by Rodrigo UndaPenguin Random House Grupo Editorial, MexicoThis fantasy novel follows The Fates, living in the shadows with one job: guiding human souls to the afterlife. But one day, one of them suffers an injury, and she begins to experience human feelings. El sueño de las Mariposas by Cristina AtienzaCristina Atienza, SpainMystery, history and memory collide by the sea in this novel about sisterhood. A woman’s interest in astrophysics and her defiance land her in confinement, with forced prayers and punishments. Las esposas del régimen by Miguel Ángel San JuanAlt Autores, SpainA modern mystery intersects with a historical look at women resisting General Franco’s patriarchal dictatorship in this novel, which pays tribute to silenced generations and warns against the return of oppressive ideologies. Masacre en el comedor by Ceferino ReatoPenguin Random House Grupo Editorial, MexicoThe journalist and political scientist investigates the deadliest guerrilla attack in 1970s Argentina, a Montoneros guerrilla group bombing at a Federal Police building during the country’s military dictatorship. Mentira by Care SantosScenic Rights, SpainXenia has had a reputation for getting the best grades and dreams of studying medicine. But then her academic performance suffers when she falls in love online. But who is the mysterious person she falls for, and are they real? Mi vida con él by Hilda GadeaSilvina Estévez, ArgentinaA film based on the memoirs of Hilda Gadea, the economist, intellectual, and activist who was Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s first wife, is already in the works. Nocturnos by Laura PérezAlt Autores, SpainThe writer and artist’s graphic novel uses a series of dreamlike vignettes to explore the mysterious and magical world of the night. You may not be aware yet, but you may well know Pérez’s work – she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work on the opening title design for Only Murders in the Building. Too Match by Inma BeneditoAgencia Literaria Dos Passos, SpainIf you are looking for a contemporary story that has been described as a Madrid-style queer Sex and the City with less glamour, this one may be for you! This diary of failed dates is an ode to heartbreak. Una belleza terrible by José OvejeroGalaxia Gutenberg, SpainThis biographical novel dives into the life and times of Leon Trotsky confidant Raymond Molinier (1904–1994), a chameleon-like figure who dedicated his life to revolutionary ideals and the workers’ struggle.Una casa llena de gente by Mariana SándezMertinWitt Literary Agency, GermanyThe debut novel explores family grief and trauma, generational friction, and memory through a narrative puzzle emerging from diaries and testimonies. Una Madre by Alejandro PalomasScenic Rights, SpainSet on New Year’s Eve in a Barcelona apartment, the story sees Amalia, 65, fulfill her dream of gathering her whole family for a holiday dinner. It is a night of family and laughter, but also, through flashbacks, old secrets and hidden tensions. Vida y muerte del cartel de Medellín by Carlos LehderPenguin Random House Grupo Editorial, MexicoIf you loved Narcos, you may want to take a look at this one! After all, it is the memoir of a co-founder of the Medellín drug cartel in Colombia, detailing the criminal empire’s rise and fall.