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Writers {3}
Writers confirmed for the Lit Sutra programme include Jake Arnott, Woodrow Phoenix, Tony Lee (2009); Ian Rankin, Claire Tomalin, Michael Frayn, Geoff Dyer, China Mieville, Mark Billingham, Shrabani Basu, Denise Mina, Andy Diggle, Melvin Burgess, Colin Bateman, Robert Lewis (2010)
Colin Bateman
Bateman was a journalist in Northern Ireland before becoming a full-time writer. His first novel, DIVORCING JACK, won the Betty Trask Prize, and all his novels have been critically acclaimed. He wrote the screenplays for the feature films DIVORCING JACK, CROSSMAHEART and WILD ABOUT HARRY. Bateman’s previous novel, Mystery Man was selected as a Richard and Judy Summer read and was in the Top 50 Times/WH Smiths paperbacks of 2009. He was also selected for the Daily Telegraph's Top 50 Crime Writers to Read Before You Die. Bateman has recently been awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of Ulster for services to literature.
Of Wee Sweetie Mice and Men 1996
Empire State 1998
Maid of the Mist 1999
Turbulent Priests 2000
Divorcing Jack 2001
Shooting Sean 2001
Wild About Harry 2001
Murphy's Law 2002
Mohammed Maguire 2002
The Horse With My Name 2003
Chapter and Verse 2003
Driving Big Davie 2004
Murphy's Revenge 2005
Belfast Confidential 2005
I Predict A Riot 2007
Orpheus Rising 2008
Mystery Man 2009
The Day of the Jack Russell 2009
Children's Novels
Reservoir Pups 2003
Bring Me the Head of Oliver Plunkett 2004
The Seagulls Have Landed 2005
Titanic 2020 2007
Melvin Burgess
It was for his controversial teenage novel, Junk (1996) that he gained wider recognition. Winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, it is an honest and disturbing account of teenage homelessness and heroin addiction on the streets of Bristol, and has been adapted for television. In 2007, it was shortlisted for the Carnegie of Carnegies. Bloodtide (1999) was joint winner of the Lancashire County Library Children's Book of the Year Award. His comedy Lady: My Life as a Bitch (2001), also received a great deal of publicity for its frank exploration of the sexual behaviour of a teenage girl. Also in 2001, his novelisation of the film Billy Elliot was published, based on Lee Hall's screenplay.
His controversial teenage novel, Doing It, was published in 2003, and Sara's Face in 2006. His latest book, Nicholas Dane (2009), is the story of a teenager living in a corrupt 1980s Care Home.
Melvin Burgess lives in Manchester.
Bibliography
An Angel for May Andersen Press, 1992
Burning Issy Andersen Press, 1992
The Baby and Fly Pie Andersen Press, 1993
Loving April Andersen Press, 1995
The Earth Giant Andersen Press, 1995
Junk Andersen Press, 1996
Tiger, Tiger Andersen Press, 1996
Kite Andersen Press, 1997
The Copper Treasure A & C Black, 1998
Bloodtide Andersen Press, 1999
Old Bag Barrington Stoke, 1999
The Birdman (illustrated by Ruth Brown) Andersen Press, 2000
The Ghost Behind the Wall Andersen Press, 2000
Billy Elliot (novelisation based on the screenplay by Lee Hall) Chicken House, 2001
Lady: My Life as a Bitch Andersen Press, 2001
Doing It Andersen Press, 2003
Robbers on the Road A & C Black, 2003
Bloodsong Andersen Press, 2005
Sara's Face Andersen Press, 2006
Nicholas Dane Andersen Press, 2009
Robert Lewis
Robert Lewis was born in the Black Mountains, in the Brecon Beacons, which is by all accounts a beautiful part of the world. He spent his twenties getting sacked, living in bedsits, drinking in the dodgier pubs of various cities, and caring about the wrong things. Most of this is still going on.
He still thinks literature can save him, and he’s thirty one now. He hasn’t seen it save anyone else.
His first novel, The Last Llanelli Train was shortlisted for the PG Wodehouse Bollinger Prize for Comic Writing, along with Zadie Smith and Christopher Brookmyre. His second, Swansea Terminal, has just been long-listed for Wales Book of the Year. His has also written for the Financial Times, Time Out, the Mail on Sunday and the Big Issue, along with a number of trade publications, and he has appeared several times on BBC Radio.
