Schindler's Ark his business in a film based on the story of Schindler and his actions in saving Polish Jews from the Nazis, arranging several interviews with Schindler for American television. Keneally's meetings with Pfefferberg, research and interviews of Schindler's comrades are detailed in another of his books titled "Searching for Schindler: A Memoir" (2007). In October 1980 Keneally went into Pfefferberg's shop in Beverly Hills to ask about the price of briefcases. Keneally had just finished a book-signing in Beverly Hills and was on his way home to Australia. Pfefferberg, learning that Keneally was a novelist, showed him his extensive files
Oskar Schindler while en route home from a film festival in Europe. Pfefferberg took the opportunity to tell Keneally the story of Oskar Schindler. He gave him copies of some materials he had on file, and Keneally soon decided to make a fictionalised treatment of the story. After extensive research and interviews with surviving "Schindlerjuden", his 1982 historical novel "Schindler's Ark" (published in the United States as "Schindler's List") was the result. The novel was adapted as the 1993 movie "Schindler's List" by Steven Spielberg. After acquiring the rights in 1983, Spielberg felt he was not ready emotionally or professionally to tackle