Author Malorie Blackman has said that the upcoming TV version of her Noughts + Crosses novel series has influenced how she writes the next book in the series.

Advertisement

Blackman, who has so far written five novels and two novellas in the series, also confessed that the next instalment would "definitely" be the final one.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other media at a Q&A screening of Noughts + Crosses episode 1, Blackman said, "This really is the last one. It’s called Endgame and I think, actually, [the TV series] has made a difference to it, but this is going to definitely be the last one."

Blackman joked that she'd previously said she was going to end the series before she went on to write three more novels, but reiterated that this would definitely be the last one ever.

The TV series, which debuts on BBC One this Thursday, is based on the first book of the Noughts + Crosses series – which was first published in 2001.

Set in an alternative reality in which Africans had enslaved Europeans rather than vice versa, it tells the story of Callum (played by Peaky Blinders' Jack Rowan) and Sephy (Masali Baduza), whose romantic relationship puts them in danger amidst a powerful revolution.

Blackman, who has been consulted about the TV show at every stage of its development, said that she thought the production team had done "an amazing job, an absolutely amazing job."

And as well as influencing the book she is currently writing, she quipped that reading the scripts and watching the show had made her wish she could go back and edit her original novels.

She said, "I feel I’ve been totally included in that process, and there were so many times where I thought, ‘I wish I put that in my book, can I go back and put that in my book?"

Noughts and Crosses episode 1 will air on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday 5th March with all 6 episodes made available on BBC iPlayer following broadcast of the first episode.

Advertisement

Buy the Noughts + Crosses book series on Amazon.

Authors

Patrick Cremona, RadioTimes.com's senior film writer looking at the camera and smiling
Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement