Shakespeare In Love director John Madden is attached to direct a film version of Sadie Jones’ best selling novel The Outcast.

Set in post war provincial England, The Outcast tells the story of a teenage boy who descends into self harm and anti-social behaviour following his mother’s death.

Jones, who was a screenwriter before becoming a novelist, has already written the first draft of the script.

The project is being produced by Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin for Blueprint Pictures, together with the UK Film Council, which has put in $70,355 (£43,250) of development funding and BBC Films.