Deborah Moggach and challenges of adapting an iconic work
Adapting Anne Frank
Acclaimed novelist Deborah Moggach was nominated for a BAFTA for her screenplay of Pride and Prejudice. Her latest adaptation, a TV dramatisation of The Diary of Anne Frank, has proved especially challenging. In this very special event, she’ll be discussing the challenges of adapting such an iconic work, dealing with the plight of a real family who came to represent the fate of six million Jewish people across Europe, and the process of transforming works of literature into successful screen drama.
Tuesday 10 March, 6.30pm
Venue: The Gallery, Foyles Bookshop, Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EB
How to book: Call 020 7713 0023 or book online.
Also this month, on Monday 23 March:
Why do the Media Hate the Human Rights Act?
This event is in partnership with Kings Place.
Politicians from across the political spectrum are calling for the repeal of the Human Rights Act. They are supported by a press which has never shown much affection for the Act - despite its initial promise of greater media freedom. Does the media's contempt for the Human Rights Act reflect a wider public antagonism towards so-called 'European' law? Or does it mark a political rejection of this Act which protects the rights of society's outcasts? Or are the media uniting against the strengthened privacy rights provided by the Human Rights Act, which have pitched editors against Law Lords? Whatever their reason, many newspapers have spent the last decade eroding the very principle of universal rights - leaving the Act vulnerable to attack. Anthony Lester QC, leading free speech advocate and architect of the Act, is joined by Sir Christopher Meyer, Chair of the Press Complaints Commission, and Alan Rusbridger, Editor of The Guardian, to debate the strange relationship between the media and the Human Rights Act in a discussion chaired by Jonathan Heawood, Director of English PEN.
Monday 23 March, 7pm
Venue: Kings Place, York Way, London, N1 9AG
Tickets: £11.50; £9.50 concessions
How to book: Call 08442 640321 or visit www.kingsplace.co.uk
British Council Indian Authors Buddy System
This year India will be the Market Focus at the London Book Fair. The British Council is the cultural partner for this initiative which aims to strengthen relationships between the UK and India in writing and publishing. As part of this programme, over 45 Indian writers will be in London in April to showcase the richness and diversity of their work. They include Anita Nair and Suketu Mehta, maverick Marathi poet Namdeo Dhasal, and Salma - the first ever female Tamil Muslim novelist. These 45 writers will be taking part in seminars and discussions at the book fair, as well as public events around London. Some of the writers involved such as Amit Chaudhuri, Vikram Seth and Jaishree Mishra live in the UK already, but most are resident in India. The British Council would like to give them the opportunity to meet British writers too.
With this in mind, the British Council are looking to partner the Indian writers with their counterparts in London for a short period during their stay. As hosts, the British writers would have the opportunity to share ‘their London’ and experience as a writer in the UK, as well as gaining significant insights into another culture. The UK writers will not be required to provide meals or accommodation, just their time and interest.
The British Council are now inviting expressions of interest from UK writers to take part in this initiative. If you can commit time while the Indian writers are in town, during 18-24 April please email Justyna Kwasniewski (Justyna.Kwasniewski@britishcouncil.org) no later than Monday 16 March. Based on the profiles of the Indian writers, suitable matches will be made to try and ensure an enjoyable experience for all. Writers will have the opportunity to meet for the first time at an evening reception hosted by the Indian High Commission on 19 April, and the London-based writers may then choose to take their guest for coffee or dinner or to their favourite place in London.
