misfits a personal manifesto by michaela coel

While researching for this lecture, I offered my first-ever contract to a few writers and some sent theirs in return. As they enlighten you, with TV stories you can’t film or write without them, enlighten them shine a torch on the figures and budgets they can’t see. Why not be transparent about the budgets, the figures, the Netanyas? Be more transparent with them about the health and life of the child they’re having. This is for the new writers coming after me, so the process of learning isn’t harder than it should be. I understand “that’s the way it is,” that we’re not experienced enough to know the budgets, so when and how do we become more experienced? This isn’t about me. New writers aren’t often made executive producers in the UK. I used the only power I had, and declined. “No, that’s not the way it is,” said No-Face Netanya. My stories are my babies, I wanna look after them, so I asked to reserve a portion of my parental rights, my copyright. I’ve no mortgage, no credit card, no real kids, no car, happy with my bicycle money’s nice, but I prefer transparency. This year, Netanya heard I was pregnant again and wanted to acquire my new unborn for one million dollars, wow. Kinda like your dad coming home saying, “This is my new wife, Netanya,” and Netanya has no face, that’s how impossible transparency seemed.

I wasn’t part of those negotiations, I was just told all rights had been sold to them.

I don’t know anything about the online acquisition. I looked the gift horse in the mouth, then used the only power I had, and declined.Ĭhewing Gum 2 aired. I wondered if he really wanted to offer me this, or whether there were feelings of doubt he couldn’t quite articulate. My exec offered me a production company under his umbrella. Misfits: A Personal Manifesto is Michaela Coel’s debut book originating from her 2018 MacTaggart Lecture.

Misfits a personal manifesto by michaela coel