Have you ever watched a film adaptation and been gutted, shocked, amazed, or bewildered by the visualisation of your favourite book? During this year’s Sydney Writers Festival, I had the immense privilege of listening to Liane Moriarty and David Nicholls as they unveiled the often-tumultuous journey of transforming beloved narratives into visual masterpieces.  

 

Set against the backdrop of Sydney’s stunning Town Hall, with its richly beautiful Victorian interiors, the atmosphere was electric. Moriarty and Nicholls charmingly engaged the audience, warming us up with hilarious anecdotes that set the stage for an insightful dialogue on the creative process.  

 

As someone ill-acquainted with their acclaimed works, I initially felt a wave of impostor syndrome wash over me while surrounded by passionate fans. But Moriarty’s wit and authenticity quickly alleviated this feeling, and Nicholls’ passion and intensity enraptured me. 

 

Despite their humble demeanour, humorously recounting times of being unrecognised at celebrity events and being awkward about public speaking as introverts, the duo created a remarkably dynamic and engaging panel. Their refreshing relatability and candid honesty made it easy to overlook their remarkable accomplishments in both literature and film. 

 

When asked about their approaches to writing novels, Nicholls shared his year-long journey of meticulous character and world-building, illustrating how he expertly pieced together his stories in a notebook. In contrast, Moriarty approaches novel writing as an adventure, allowing the narrative to evolve organically.  

As they delved into the complexities of adaptation, Nicholls painted a vivid picture of the screenwriting process. He described being stripped of agency and control as a novelist when transferring screen rights, marking the beginning of an excruciatingly nitpicking development process that forces novelists to conform to the binaries of film.  

 

Having crafted the critically acclaimed romantic drama *One Day*, Nicholls described adapting stories for the big screen as a cathartic yet brutal experience, comparing it to “pulling at your own teeth.” He elaborated on the intricate challenge of squeezing a sprawling narrative into a two-hour window, capturing the essence of a year in just 20 minutes while prioritising pivotal moments over subtler observations.  

 

Parallel to the rigorous adaptation process comes the ever-pressurising speed of time. Nicholls captured how stories take on the “quality of the time in which they’re made”. With One Day’s book release in 2009, film adaptation in 2011 and lastly, the Netflix series produced in 2024, the story morphs into a “strange combination of tones and voices” reflective of its time. 

 

I could feel the audience still at his impassioned descriptions of the painstaking metamorphosis of a book to film, rendering a highly personal and subjective reading experience into a singular depiction. Such raw reflexivity not only instilled sympathy, as I recall the countless times I critiqued a visual adaptation of a beloved novel, but also inspired me to the unbridled hardships creatives encounter when trying to stay true to what was originally intended, whilst condensing to the restraints of screen time. 

 

Yet, such risks reap the most fulfilling rewards. Moriarty recounts a heartwarming full-circle moment for her character, Mary Louis Wright, in Big Little Lies, whose name was taken from Moriarty’s favourite actress, Meryl Streep. During the casting process for the award-winning series adaptation, she recalls feeling completely foolish when requesting Meryl Streep to be cast in her book’s adaptation, exclaiming to her friends that if they’d got her Meryl, she’d “never ask for anything again”. Against all odds, she received a phone call from the show’s producers- “We got you, Meryl”. Although comedic, her anecdote instils the importance of taking leaps of faith, however uncomfortable it may feel at the time. 

 

Nicholls professed the fear of relinquishing control that comes with being an executive producer, while embracing the release of allowing fresh perspectives to influence the adaptation process.  

 

“Producing something is a privilege, but incredibly stressful.”  

When asked about the potential for adapting their new novels, Nicholls accounted for numerous practical and creative challenges that could potentially arise for the romance You Are Here, as although the roles are castable, the adaptation would distil to the “bare bones” of the conversation which risks losing the nuances of the interior monologue. 

 

For Moriarty, her new novel Here One Moment has already secured screen rights, which was met with delighted exclamation amongst the audience, eager to watch her newest creation light up our screens. 

 

In their invigorating transgression from novelists to screenwriters, when asked if they ever author novels particularly for their eventual film adaptation, both Moriarty and Nicholls strongly assert that they never mould a story to a screenplay.  

 

Moriarty acknowledges the locational challenges for her newest novel, where characters move from Australia to America. She finds solace in knowing that although aspects of the story may be lost in accounting for the novel’s flexibility, it will always be an inevitable side effect. 

 

For Nicholls, he approaches such a challenge with ferocity, deeming that screenwriting is all about “choosing your battles” when fighting to keep crucial aspects of the story. 

 

In closing, the Sydney Writers Festival panel with Liane Moriarty and David Nicholls was an eye-opening glimpse into the art of adaptation. Their candid insights revealed the trials and triumphs of transforming beloved books into films, all while maintaining the essence of their stories. With humour and sincerity, they reminded us that while the process can be daunting, the joy of storytelling transcends any medium.  

 

As I left the panel, I felt inspired by their stories and more appreciative of the painstaking metamorphosis that occurs when a beloved book makes its way to the screen. 

Amelia Akonnah is a second-year student studying a dual degree in Media and Social Sciences at UNSW, majoring in Politics and International Relations and Journalism with a passion for writing and film.