Ep. 252 - From Green Wing to Pagans: James Alistair Henry on Writing for TV and Novels

Watch as a full video interview on YouTube

Screenwriter and editor James Alistair Henry first started writing while working as a bookseller. He joined the writing team for Channel 4’s Smack the Pony and went on to write the BAFTA-award winning Green Wing, ITV comedy Delivery Man and cult hit Campus as well as episodes for smash-hit children’s television shows Bob The Builder and Hey Duggee. His Radio 4 sketch show, Wosson Cornwall, was selected as BBC Radio Comedy of the Week and his newest sitcom, Piglets, has been commissioned for a second series. His debut novel, Pagans, was an instant Times bestseller, and has been optioned for TV.

We had a really fun and interesting chat with James, hearing about how he first got into the world of screenwriting (including some great anecdotes) and why he decided to write Pagans as a novel. We talk about how TV writing and novel writing differs, and have a chat about how structure is so important, and how once it is in place, then you can go wild with your ideas and characters.

Links:

Buy Pagans now

Follow James on Bluesky

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