Treasure Entertainment has announced that they have acquired the film and television rights to the Irish best-seller Last Ones Left Alive, written by Sarah Davis-Goff. The debut novel has been hailed by The Observer as “a fiercely feminist, highly imaginative novel” and by author Louise O’Neill as “Beautifully written and perfectly paced. It’s a triumph.”.
Last Ones Left Alive is the story of Orpen, who having been raised by her mother and Maeve on Slanbeg, an island off the west coast of Ireland, has a childhood of love and stories by the fireside. But the stories grow darker, and the training begins. Ireland has been devoured by a ravening menace known as the skrake, and though Slanbeg is safe for now, the women must always be ready to run, or to fight.
When Maeve is bitten, Orpen is faced with a dilemma: kill Maeve before her transformation is complete, or try to get help. So Orpen sets off, with Maeve in a wheelbarrow and her dog at her side, in the hope of finding other survivors, and a cure. It is a journey that will test Orpen to her limits, on which she will learn who she really is, who she really loves, and how to imagine a future in a world that ended before she was born.
Without really knowing it, I’ve been a fan of Treasure’s work since I was a teenager, loving movies like I Went Down, and more recently The Stag and Papi Chulo. The thought of Treasure bringing the story of Orpen and the banshees in all its grit and goriness to the screen is just outstandingly exciting to me.
Sarah Davis Goff, Author
We are delighted to have acquired the rights to this exciting and deeply affecting book. From my first read, I was struck by the visual nature of the book and could immediately see that it was a story that has huge potential to hit international screens with iconic and far reaching success. We are very happy to be working to bring Sarah’s voice to a wide audience through a new medium.
Rebecca O’Flanagan, Producer – Treasure Entertainment
We simply couldn’t be more thrilled that Sarah’s singular imaginative vision and propulsive storytelling will now make the transition to screen.
Tinder Press, Publisher
The deal was brokered by Marc Simonsson at MMBCreative and Rebecca O’Flanagan at Treasure Entertainment.
Author Sarah Davis-Goff is well known in Irish literary circles as a publisher at Tramp Press, which she founded with Lisa Coe in 2014. She holds a BA in Arts from St John’s College, New Mexico and an MA in Publishing from Oxford Brookes University, and has written articles about publishing, literature and gender issues for The Irish Times, The Guardian and LitHub.
Last Ones Left Alive is published by Tinder Press and available nationwide.
Forthcoming Treasure features include John Butler’s Papi Chulo, which will be released in Irish cinemas on June 7th, and Hugh O’Conor’s debut coming-of-age drama Metal Heart, which will be released in Irish cinemas on June 28th.