A potential conflict of interest has arisen regarding Sarah Jessica Parker’s role as a judge for this year’s Booker Prize. Reports indicate that Parker’s production company is developing a film adaptation of a book by Claire Adam, whose second novel, Love Forms, appears on this year’s Booker longlist announced Tuesday.
Adam’s debut novel, Golden Child, was published in the U.S. in 2019 by SJP for Hogarth, an imprint of Penguin where Parker served as editorial director. The book is now being adapted into a film by Parker’s company, Pretty Matches Productions, alongside MA Productions.
Gaby Wood, CEO of the Booker Prize Foundation, addressed the situation: “It’s not unusual for judges to have connections to submitted authors, so all judges declare any conflicts upfront. Since Sarah Jessica Parker published Claire Adam’s first novel, she disclosed this potential conflict for transparency. She only shared her opinion on Love Forms after the other judges had voiced theirs. No book advances based on one judge’s support alone—Love Forms earned its place on the longlist through the panel’s collective decision.”
In a June interview with The Irish Times, Adam expressed excitement about the film adaptation: “A small LA production company (MA Productions) bought the rights, and we’re thrilled SJP’s Pretty Matches Productions is involved too. Film projects move slowly, but having her support is fantastic.”
Pretty Matches Productions, founded in 2005, is also behind And Just Like That…, the Sex and the City sequel, and HBO’s Divorce, which Parker executive produced and starred in.
Adam praised Parker in a Times interview, saying, “She reads voraciously, so spending time with her was wonderful. She’s incredibly warm and genuine—she read my book cover to cover and even woke up at 5 a.m. to meet me.” Golden Child, published in the UK by Faber, won the 2019 Desmond Elliott Prize.
In 2023, Parker launched SJP Lit in partnership with independent publisher Zando, releasing books like Lucy Caldwell’s These Days and Linda Grant’s The Story of the Forest. She also shares book recommendations on Instagram.
Parker was announced as a Booker judge in December, with Wood noting her “passionate support for contemporary fiction.” This year’s panel, chaired by Roddy Doyle, includes Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Kiley Reid, and Chris Power.
Adam is among 13 longlisted authors, including past winner Kiran Desai, Tash Aw, and David Szalay. The shortlist will be revealed on September 23, with the winner announced November 10.
