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An Unsuitable Boy

A Life in Scripts
Brief Description
Andrew Davies has written his way into British cultural history, from House of Cards to Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones to Bleak House. But his own life story is every bit as compelling and chaotic as the characters he has brought to life. An Unsuitable Boy... Read More
Format: Hardback
$4899
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Releases 5th January 2027 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "An Unsuitable Boy" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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With scenes that stretch from post-war Cardiff to the BBC boardroom, from Broadway flops to French farmhouses with Robert Altman, this is a story about what happens behind the scripts. A memoir by multi-award-winning screenwriter, Andrew Davies. He is best known for his adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch, War and Peace, Bleak House, House of Cards and Bridget Jones’s Diary.

With scenes that stretch from post-war Cardiff to the BBC boardroom, from Broadway flops to French farmhouses with Robert Altman, this is a story about what happens behind the scripts. A memoir by multi-award-winning screenwriter, Andrew Davies. He is best known for his adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, Middlemarch, War and Peace, Bleak House, House of Cards and Bridget Jones’s Diary.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Andrew Davies has written his way into British cultural history, from House of Cards to Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones to Bleak House. But his own life story is every bit as compelling and chaotic as the characters he has brought to life. An Unsuitable Boy is a memoir that weaves together wit, irreverence and vulnerability to reflect on a life of writing, loving, adapting, collaborating and surviving.

With scenes that stretch from post-war Cardiff to the BBC boardroom, from New York flops to French farmhouses with Robert Altman, this is a story about what happens behind the scripts.

Drawing upon personal correspondence, diaries and unpublished archive material, Andrew writes candidly about marriage and mischief, writer’s block and Broadway, literary obsession and love. Along the way, with his trademark wit and warmth, he reflects on his difficult relationship with his mother, the enduring memory of his wife Diana and their long, happy and complicated marriage, as well as the family dynamics that continue to shape his storytelling.

Includes three 8-page colour plate sections

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781846884764

Publisher: Alma Books Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 20 September 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Alma Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 218.0mm

Weight: 540g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Born in Cardiff, Andrew Davies is a multiaward-winning screenwriter, novelist and former academic. He is the author of over fifty film adaptations, including House of Cards, Middlemarch, Pride and Prejudice, Vanity Fair, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Bleak House, War and Peace and Les Misérables. His original work includes A Very Peculiar Practice, Getting Hurt and Conrad’s War, for which he won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a BAFTA and Emmy winner. He lives in Kenilworth.

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