South African author Lauren Beukes had some exciting news about her 2013 best selling novel The Shining Girls.

Smile Breakfast caught up with Lauren to talk about the upcoming Apple Original series production, and she said she’d been sitting on the news for a while but could only make the announcement now.

“We were waiting to hear from Apple. We were a bit concerned that they were gonna take it up as a series. That news came through about three weeks ago. It’s funny, I was sitting watching Apple TV with my kid and I said ‘How great would it be to see The Shining Girls on Apple TV?’, and she was like ‘That is never gonna happen!’ And then they called and the details came through with the confirmation.”

The Shining Girls is a thriller about a time travelling serial killer, set in the Depression-era. Comparing to some of her other work, Beukes explained that the story is based in Chicago, which gave her a wider canvas to draw inspiration from.

“Chicago is somewhere I’ve lived. It feels a lot like Johannesburg which is where I grew up. There’s a lot segregation and racist policy, but it’s also this bright shining city where a lot of exciting things have happened and it’s very interesting socially.”

Writer Silka Luisa will write the adaptation and Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company Appian Way will produce the upcoming show. Kate Moss will also be an executive producer and will also star in the show.

Listen to the full conversation Lauren had on Smile Breakfast here: