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For fans of Candice Carty Williams‘ incredible book Queenie, we have big news. The long-awaited TV adaptation of the novel is coming to Channel 4 next month.
If you’ve not read the book – well, there’s still time to do so before the show drops, and you won’t be disappointed. The story centres around a young Black woman in her mid 20s navigating life in South London, tackling the trials and tribulations of relationships (particularly her experience with her white boyfriend, Tom), her job in social media journalism, her feelings about her friends, body and sexuality.
And beneath it all, Queenie is reckoning with some considerable trauma, and we go on the journey with her as she comes to terms with all of the above.
Candice has worked closely with and led the team bringing Queenie to the screen, after her explosive original drama Champion, which is a love letter to Black British music, aired last summer.
The show is a great testament to the book, with a cracking cast and soundtrack. Here’s everything we know about the Queenie TV show so far from casting to the exact plot, as well as release date and the TV series’ trailer.
Channel 4 / Latoya Okuneye
Queenie plot
Channel 4’s plot synopsis says it all.
“Queenie is about heartbreak and bad dates and worse sex,” it reads. “It’s about south London and the gentrification that’s chipping away at it and what it represents. It’s about race, identity, culture and the politics that shape you. It’s about the love of friends, the chaos of family and community and all the other varying relationships in between, but especially the one with yourself.
“Razor sharp, utterly honest, blisteringly funny, and achingly yet beautifully relatable, Queenie the TV series will be full of as much heart and soul as the lady herself. At its core, it’s a story about a young Black woman’s values and the unrelenting trials and tribulations of life.”
Queenie cast
Dionne Brown will play Queenie, while North London-based singer-songwriter Bellah will play Queenie’s best friend Kyazike. Jon Pointing (who we loved in Smothered) will play Queenie’s long-time boyfriend Tom, alongside Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones) Samuel Adewunmi, Elisha Applebaum and Yennis Cheung. Love Island‘s Laura Whitmore and You star Tilly Keeper will also appear.