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Tony Kenrick
Walking into her apartment, both of them laughing at something he’d said, the man made a mock bow for her to precede him, his eyes already seeing the room, darting around it, looking for something to kill her with.” So begins Tony Kenrick’s Neon Tough, a novel published in ’88 and set against the backdrop…
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Digital Dawning and Beyond
Back in 2006 renowned/esteemed/iconic artist Chris Moore wrote an article on the increasing use of digital tools in the craft of illustration. We’d collaborated on the text of Journeyman, his quality showcase album from art publisher Paper Tiger, and he asked me to cast an editorial eye over the piece before he sent it in.…
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The 39 Steps: Part Two
Continuing the adaptation memo from Part One, this second part is the ‘what I’d do with it’ section. I teamed with producer Archie Tait and I imagine we pitched it to the usual suspects, of whom there were a very small number back then… maybe half a dozen people or fewer with actual commissioning power,…
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The 39 Steps: Part One
I see that Patrick Barlow’s energetic stage adaptation of The 39 Steps is about to begin a national tour, in a production directed by Maria Aitken (whom I met once at the Hay festival; I was on a panel with her husband Patrick McGrath and was happy to be introduced). The original Criterion Theatre production…
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Perspective
First published as a guest editorial in Kimota magazine, 2014 I couldn’t be an editor. There are so many stories. I don’t mean the kind of stories an editor actually looks for. I mean some of the stuff they have to deal with. Stories of writers, invariably new to the game, demanding that you sign…
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The Day I was Offered The Prisoner
It was back in the early 90’s. I was at a meeting with Debra Allanson down in Soho Square. Her boss at the time was David Cunliffe, and he did a drop-by. He said they had access to The Prisoner TV rights and would I be interested in tackling a new version? I didn’t even…
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On Adaptation
Adapting is not a matter of reformatting. Adaptation is re-imagination. When you’re reading prose, the incidents may run as vividly in your head as when you’re watching a movie, but don’t let that mislead you into thinking that there can’t be that much difference between them. Back in 1997, Pumpkin Books published the full text…
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Horrocks, Capaldi, and the Rain That Never Fell
The first time that he saw her was across the parking lot of a motorway service area. It was about a quarter to midnight, and it had been raining. He could see that she was tired and cold and that she’d probably been on her feet for some time. She didn’t look much more than…
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Doctor Who at 60
As part of the 60th Anniversary celebrations The Guardian is running a series of soundbite interviews with people closely associated with the show throughout its long run. My anecdote’s in there, in the first group of a dozen. I gave a little more than was needed… I could say it was to give flexibility in…
Hauling Like A Brooligan
Stephen Gallagher
