It's not by accident that some of the best films of the last few years have been inspired by UK books. And it's not just Shakespeare and 19th-century novels either - some of the best contemporary UK writers are seeing their work adapted for new audiences via the big (or the small) screen.

Reel Books offers a selection of some of the best UK writing from the last 20 years that has been turned into film. Most of the titles are novels, although some plays, poems, biographies and a graphic novel have been included as well.

The list has been divided into nine sections that reflect thematic preoccupations or literary and filmic genres:

• Not just for children - this section includes work by authors Roald Dahl, Anne Fine and Michael Morpurgo
• From stage to screen - this section includes some of the cream of modern UK play writing
• The past is a foreign country - in this section you will find books set in periods from the 14th century to the 1950s
• Thrills, chills and blood spills - in this section you will find horror, crime, psychological and espionage thrillers
• Pictures of the UK - this section highlights works that reflect distinct aspects of UK life - places, attitudes and cultures
• Brits abroad - this section features work set beyond UK shores
• Love and lust, families and friends - the books selected here range from comic relationship insecurities to intense studies of the borderline between love and lust
• Truth and madness - this section includes two kinds of books: biographical writing that attempts to tell the 'truth' about real events and real lives, and novels that explore the more problematic grey area between perception and reality
• Small screen, big impact - this section is really the tip of the iceberg - a small selection of some of the most significant adaptations of recent UK writing for the small screen

These sections are really just a guide and are certainly not meant to box-in any book to a particular theme.

Each entry offers a brief description of the book, poem or play, along with the relevant publication details. There are also brief details of the film adaptation. All the titles were in print at the time of publication (April 2005). Hard copies of this bibliography are available from:

Vibeke Burke
Film and Literature Department
British Council
10 Spring Gardens
London SW1A 2BN
Phone +44 (0)20 7389 3197
Fax +44 (0)20 7389 3175
Email: Vibeke.Burke@britishcouncil.org

Or download the pdf version:

Reel Books part one pdf (534KB)

Reel Books part two pdf (695KB)

The titles listed in the bibliography can be downloaded as a booklist from enCompassculture.com.