Photo by Tom Pilston via Guardian Nigeria

Great news to kick off the year! The Nigerian author and journalist Anietie Isong’s debut novel Radio Sunrise is set to hit the big screen in the latter part of the year.

In an email to Brittle Paper, Isong’s team revealed that the production will be a collaborative effort between two leading production companies in Nigeria, the Royal Arts Academy and Closer Pictures, and will be shot in Lagos and the Niger Delta.

First published in the UK in 2017, Radio Sunrise looks at the commodification of journalism in Nigeria through the eyes of a young journalist whose ethics come under strain following a series of life-defining mishaps. The novel was met with rave reviews, earning a longlist for the 2018 9mobile Prize for Literature and won the 2018 McKitterick Prize.

The Royal Arts Academy, producers of such movies as Weekend Getaway, Falling, and Ayamma, is headed by celebrated Nigeria screenwriter, producer, and director Emem Isong. She is also Anietie’s sister and looks forward to their collaboration:

I am delighted to be working with my brother on the adaption of his award-winning novel. The film will feature some of Nigeria’s most celebrated actors, and we have decided to film it in Lagos and the Niger Delta, where the novel is set. I am confident the movie will resonate well with viewers not only in Nigeria, but across the world.

Anietie Isong expressed joy over the upcoming project, stating his confidence in the production teams:

I am very excited about the screen adaption of my first novel. Our film industry has come a long way, so I have no doubt the talented cast and crew will do justice to the script.

Uduak Isong Oguamanam, CEO of Closer Pictures, also shared her excitement over the adaptation, recounting her first encounter with the book:

The first time I read the book, I thought ‘this would make a great movie’. So when Anietie started talking about adaptation, I was only too pleased. I loved the book and I’m certain film lovers all over the world will love the adaptation. It has everything; comedy, romance and social issues. We will work with the very best hands to put together a masterpiece.

Congratulations to Anietie Isong! Stay tuned for updates.