Midnight's Children adapted for Netflix

Kudos to Netflix, for announcing an adaptation of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children is in the works. It is an intimidating time for TV news, seeing as it follows Patrick Melrose on Sky, which roared onto our screens exceeding all expectations of what literary adaptations can accomplish.

Nonetheless, Netflix have never been shy of a fight, and here we now are rubbing our hands together in anticipation of another book brought to screen with a big budget behind it. And not just any book, Midnight's Children is a Booker Prize winner that's been deemed 'best novel of all winners' on two occasions.

The good news is that Salman Rushdie's novel sounds perfect for TV. Combining ever popular historical fiction with magic – that perennially seductive storytelling device – Midnight's Children follows the life of Salem Sinai, a boy born on the stroke of midnight in 1947.

Salem becomes the embodiment of India's prosperity: the young boy's wellbeing, health and happiness are tied inextricably to the state of the nation, his life reflecting and directing the history of the country and his telepathic powers connecting him with 1,000 other 'midnight's children' – Indian children born at the same moment and in possession of powers.

'Midnight’s Children is one of the great novels of the world, and its themes are still relevant to the India of today', Erik Barmack, VP of International Originals for Netflix, said.

The film adaptation of Midnight's Children was something of a flop, and the BBC wound up cancelling their miniseries in the 90s. But this 2018, and TV has never been a more exciting place. Fingers crossed we'll have another literary adaptation to blow Patrick Melrose out of the water.