Claire McGlasson’s The Rapture Optioned for TV

Hillbilly Television has acquired the TV rights for The Rapture, Claire McGlasson’s debut novel about a real-life cult, set in 1920s Bedford.

The novel will be published in June 2019. The story follows as a woman calling herself Octavia and claiming to be the daughter of God is gathering followers, who take up houses enclosing a garden in Bedford that they believe to be the original site of Eden. One young member of the new cult, in which members are required to spy on each other and report even the smallest transgression, isn’t there by choice.

Hillbilly was co-founded by Polly Leys and Kate Norrish, whose collective credits include The Full Monty and Second Coming, starring Idris Elba.

Leys said: “Hillbilly has a great track record in producing distinctive TV drama with international appeal. We’re delighted that Netflix’s acquisition of Loaded will bring the show to a global audience. Our next challenge is to keep up this level of achievement and we believe we’ve found the perfect vehicle in The Rapture. It has everything: a mesmerizing but unknown story based on real events, written by a writer of rare talent. We can’t wait to bring it to life on screen.”