The first project has been set under producer Aaliyah Williams’ Just A Rebel production banner.

The company is adapting Marita Golden’s critically-acclaimed 2017 novel, The Wide Circumference of Love, for television. The novel tells the story of Diane Tate, a respected family court judge in Washington, D.C., who is forced to renegotiate life when her husband is diagnosed with early-onset dementia and, along with her adult children, must re-examine her connection to the man he is and ultimately her connection with herself.

The late Toni Morrison said this of the book: “It is always heartening to see women step up to the writer’s table. When the results are as adroit and affecting as Marita Golden’s work, it is more than satisfying it is a cause for celebration.” The Wide Circumference of Love was also named an NPR Best Book and nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work.

“At the heart of this novel is an incredible love story between two unforgettable characters without whom each other’s identity is impossible to fully realize. Yet, in the face of this crisis, Diane has a second chance at defining who she is. I look forward to transforming Marita’s exquisite novel into a premium series that celebrates the triumph of black womanhood and the everlasting grace that is possible in our families. This series has the capacity to reimagine a coming of age journey which compels it to be a quintessential Just A Rebel project,” said Williams.

“My novel The Wide Circumference of Love is a story about the tenacity of love, loyalty and devotion, and the inevitability and power of change amidst the tumultuous storm that is Alzheimer’s disease. I am gratified that this story of an African American family living, loving and growing through the challenges of this disease will reach a wider audience,” said Golden.

Production recently wrapped on Netflix’s Gentified, which Williams executive produces with MACRO. Just A Rebel has a first-look deal with MACRO to produce television and film projects. Pre-Just A Rebel, Williams was the Chief Content Officer of MACRO’s Digital Studio.

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