INTERVIEW: "Mr. Malcolm's List" by Suzanne Allain, A Twenty-Year Journey from Book to Film

Welcome to the Tuesday Author Interview with Christina Boyd for the Who, What, When, Where, and Why.

CHRISTINA: I am a huge fan of actor Theo James. In 2021, when I saw that he was cast in your book-to-film Mr. Malcolm's List, I confess, I downloaded your novel right then. When your most recent book, The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right, released early December 2024, Sophia Rose reviewed it for my blog and prompted me to once again download your book on the spot. I should just ask what you are writing next and pre-order it now.

Mr. Malcolm's List by Suzanne Allain. Published July 28, 2020

So, what is your current project?

SUZANNE: A historical mystery set in London and Cornwall, tentatively titled No Way to Treat a Lady. Not only is it a different genre than I usually write, but it’s also written in first-person POV, not third-person omniscient like my Regency romances.

CHRISTINA: I'll keep my eyes peeled for a publication date.

You are living every author’s dream with your novel Mr. Malcolm’s List adapting to film. How did that come about?

SUZANNE: It definitely didn’t come about quickly, that’s for sure! My first novel, Incognito, was published by an imprint of Warner Books in November 2001, but that imprint closed almost immediately afterward because of the effects of 9/11 on the NY publishing scene. Thus Mr. Malcolm’s List, which I completed in early 2002 as a follow-up to my first book, was not traditionally published for another eighteen years. During those years I decided to pivot to screenwriting. I adapted my book into a script and uploaded it to the Black List website, where it scored very highly and brought me to the attention of Hollywood executives, and a director and producers became interested in making the film. We made a prequel to the feature film called Mr. Malcolm's List--Overture, and it was released in early 2019 (before Bridgerton). Based on the popularity of that twelve-minute short film, Mr. Malcolm’s List, the book, was traditionally published by Berkley in 2020, and the film was released in 2022, twenty years after I initially wrote the novel.

Mr. Malcolm’s List, based on the novel by Suzanne Allain (who also adapted the screenplay) and directed by Emma Holly Jones. All-star cast: Freida Pinto, Sope Dirisu, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ashley Park, Zawe Ashton, and Theo James.

CHRISTINA: Goodness, that is an awful long time in coming and a testament to your belief in the project. Rather inspiring, in fact. I am so glad it finally came to be. And I do remember that short film. I love, love, love Gemma Chan. What a roundabout way to get a book published. But maybe the film was fated anyway. A delightful read and entertaining film. And not just because I am biased toward Theo James. Swoonworthy, indeed.

What other writer goals have you set to achieve?

SUZANNE: I really want to get out of the romance genre! I love historical romance, it’s my favorite genre to read, and I love all of the Regency rom-coms I’ve written, but I am currently at work on a historical mystery, and I’m excited to do something different. I also want to write a new script this year in an entirely different genre as well.

CHRISTINA: I am sure strengthening and stretching your writing muscles in a different genre is a refreshing challenge. We all need to try something new to keep us inspired.

What comes first: plot or characters?

Guest reviewer Sophia Rose loved "The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right." I did, too!

SUZANNE: Plot. Not an entire plot, but a starting point. For example, for The Ladies Rewrite the Rules, I stumbled across a directory of rich, single women published in the 18th century by a younger son. This was an actual, historic document, and it made me wonder how a lady would feel if she’d been listed in that directory and fortune-hunting men started showing up on her doorstep. I moved the directory into my favorite era, the Regency, and then created Diana Boyle, a wealthy widow who decides to confront the author of the directory.

CHRISTINA: Interesting. I would bet 90% of the authors I interview say characters. I wonder if your screenwriting background has something to do with that.

Do you put people you know, or their characteristics, in your book?

SUZANNE: Yes, though my characters only have one or two characteristics of people I know, they’re not based entirely on a specific person. For example, in The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right, the character Lady Isabelle was verbally abused by her mother, and I based her experiences on that of a childhood friend. However, Lady Isabelle is nothing at all like my friend in other ways. And the characters I invent soon begin to live in my imagination, and I picture them talking and interacting as themselves, not as anyone I know.

CHRISTINA: I think the most realistic characteristics are gleaned from real people. Probably because we have heard their voice, they have made us feel a particular way.

Please know how much I appreciate your time in sharing your craft and part of your long road to publishing. I look forward to your next book. I hope the words are flowing.

Suzanne Allain, author and screenwriter

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Suzanne Allain adapted her novel Mr. Malcolm’s List into a screenplay, and it was made into a movie starring Freida Pinto, Theo James, SopeDirisu, Zawe Ashton, and Oliver Jackson Cohen. The Ladies Rewrite the Rules released January 9, 2024, and The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right released December 3, 2024. If you’d like an autographed copy of any of Suzanne’s books, please contact Midtown Reader, an indie bookstore in her hometown. You can connect with Suzanne via social media and her website.