🎥 I’m overjoyed to announce that Chained Birds: A Crimemoir has been named a finalist in the 2025 Page Turner Awards’ Book Adaptation Needed category! 🏆 This recognition is particularly meaningful because the Page Turner Awards celebrate books with cinematic potential—an exciting prospect for any author dreaming of seeing their work adapted for the screen. 🎬
The winners will be announced this November, and let me tell you, the stakes are high: last year’s winners in this category had their book adaptations paid for by Page Turner Awards themselves! It’s a tremendous opportunity, and I’m thrilled to be in the running … but let’s be real: there are 30 other books I’m competing with, so I’m not holding my breath! Still, my congratulatory email said that my book, Chained Birds, had “risen to the top among hundreds of exceptional submissions, a testament to your skill and dedication as a writer.” 🥳
What the judges are saying
Even before the finalists were announced today, two of the judges offered feedback and valuable insight into Chained Birds and its potential as a cinematic project.
Stewart Carry, a retired teacher of English Language and Literature and award-winning UK screenwriter, said the prologue of Chained Birds could immediately reel in a viewer:
The prologue alone, the murder of the prison officer, is such a powerful hook that we become engaged immediately. The writing conveys the horror of the young man’s demise so well that it’s almost visceral, palpably and painfully real … If there’s enough in the entire book, a miniseries for television might be a possibility.
Robin Kaczmarczyk, a Mexico City-based storyteller, ghost writer, screenwriter, and someone who worked on the production of the SUPERMAN movies with Christopher Reeve, echoed the sentiment that Chained Birds has the potential for a miniseries or streaming series, saying:
There is too much material here for just one movie. This would have to become a miniseries—but a good prison miniseries is gold. AND there is gold here, with the right adaptation.
The journey so far: A pre-release inquiry about film options, and now this!
Before Chained Birds launched, it gained the attention of a UK TV-film production company, Expecation TV, which inquired about film rights. That was exciting for about three months … until they ultimately passed. (Pretty typical for this industry.) However, that early interest showed me that Chained Birds has the potential to resonate beyond the page, and now I’m hoping this Page Turner award will add some fire to the engine 🔥.
The Page Turner Awards was launched in the UK in 2020 by Ken and Paula Sheridan, a husband-and-wife entrepreneurial team. Paula, an award-winning author herself, created the awards to help talented writers from all backgrounds get discovered, celebrated, and connected with industry professionals. I was drawn to the awards program specifically for the high-calibre screenwriting talent and film producers who might take an interest in my work.
What’s Next?
As we await the winners’ announcement in November, I’m reflecting on how far Chained Birds has come. From winning a Nellie Bly Journalism Award to taking home gold and silver medals in the Next Generation Indie, IPPY, and IndieReader Discovery Awards, this book continues to exceed my expectations.
I’m honored to be recognized by the Page Turner Awards and grateful to judges like Stewart and Robin for their thoughtful and encouraging feedback.
Here’s hoping Chained Birds takes flight and finds its way to the screen. No matter what happens, this journey has been unforgettable, and I’m so thankful for your continued support. 💙
Carla Conti is an award-winning true crime journalist, storyteller, and prison reform advocate. Her debut book, Chained Birds: A Crimemoir, won multiple 2025 national book awards, including 1st Place in True Crime from the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Winner in True Crime from the Indie Reader Discovery Awards, Silver in True Crime from the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), and a 1st Place Nellie Bly Journalism award from the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Carla lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, who tolerates her true crime habit.
