LitFest ’25: Jessie Burton and A.F. Steadman – From Page to Stage and Screen

Jessie Burton, most known for her Sunday Times bestseller The Miniaturist, joined author of the beloved children’s series Skandar, A.F. Steadman, in conversation on moving from words to the screen, and their experiences in writing across genres. 

The Miniaturist was adopted by the BBC in 2017, starring well-loved actress Anya Taylor-Joy. In the event held at St Mary’s Church Hall, Burton told the audience that “the casting, I thought, was excellent,” applauding the directors for following her vision. Although she initially wanted to participate in the scriptwriting – coming from an acting background; a craved collaboration – she was pleased how it turned out, commenting specifically on the use of dialogue lifted from the book. 

In the TV series as opposed to the book, however, Jessie shared that the physical depiction of the “enigmatic creator” (the Miniaturist) on screen was supposedly unavoidable and understands that metaphorical language is easier to achieve on the page than on the stage. 

A.F. Steadman, on the other hand, whose otherworldly-imagination is currently being brought to life with help from Sony Pictures, is adamant on making it clear that there were some non-negotiable things that had to remain the same on the screen as they were in the book. The example she used is the character’s diversity – a quintessential detail in Annabel’s writing – which she has depicted well on-page to the reader, and which has supposedly supported the casting of the on-screen series. “It’s the first time you see someone [else] in your mind,” she said, emphasising her importance on communication to the crew. 

During the audience Q&A towards the end of the event, Steadman revealed that she tends to have a voice in casting and humorously shared her secret aspiration for David Tenant to play the protagonist Skandar Smith’s father on the screen. 

When faced with critics’ responses to her writing, Steadman shared that she chooses to think about the children who enjoy her books instead, for the critics are not her intended audience. Reflecting on times when she has encountered fans, the author light-heartedly turned back to moments when children cared more about “sorting out the cliff-hanger” than meeting the creator of the fantasy world. 

As author of both adult and children’s fiction, Burton described writing for children as writing something her younger self would read. She has picked up on the trend in fundamentally shorter lengths for children’s fiction than adults, and shared that her editor helps with maintaining pace for children readers. 

Jessie Burton has published four novels and three children’s books, with all the adult fiction achieving Sunday Times best-sellers, and is currently working on a new novel. 

Anabel Steadman—penname A.F. Steadman—is the author of the blockbuster children’s fantasy series Skandar, and is publishing adult fiction Timeless next year. She is also the executive producer of the forthcoming Sony film Skandar and the Unicorn Thief.