Pakistani writer Shazaf Fatima Haider’s second novel, A Firefly in the Dark, which was published in April this year by Speaking Tiger Books in India, is being adapted into a TV series.
The author took to social media to announce the news. “Very excited to announce that A Firefly in the Dark is becoming a TV series. I still balk at the ‘for the entire universe and for all perpetuity’ but,” she wrote on her official Twitter handle adding that she was sleep deprived and a little nervous while signing the contract.
In a recent interview, the author revealed that the rights to her novel have been acquired by Indian telecom giant Reliance Jio, that launched a production house earlier this year and has been acquiring content to create original web series and short films for its subscribers. She further went on to say that because everything is still in process she doesn’t have any more details.
Shazaf Fatima’s A Firefly in the Dark, follows the story of Sharmeen, whose life is disrupted when, after an unexpected tragedy, she moves into her Nani’s (maternal grandmother) rambling ancestral bungalow with her family. She hates her new life and turns to the world of her Nani’s fantastical stories for solace. Slowly, unseen forces that were dormant for centuries start to awaken and Sharmeen meets her own personal Jinn, who reveals her family’s history. Eventually Sharmeen realises that it is up to her to rescue the adults in her life.
Shazaf Fatima’s debut novel How It Happened, released in December 2012 and revolved around unrest caused in Pakistani families when young people choose life partners for themselves. However, her second novel, A Firefly in the Dark has a supernatural element as the grandmother’s fantastical stories turn out to be true.