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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Drawing upon personal correspondence, diaries and unpublished archive material, Andrew writes candidly about marriage and mischief, writer's block and Broadway, literary obsession and love.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
Product details
| Published | 20 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 304 |
| ISBN | 9781846884764 |
| Imprint | Alma Books |
| Dimensions | 216 x 135 mm |
| Publisher | Alma Books |
About the contributors
Reviews
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Range, wit, heart, wisdom
Hugh Bonneville
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Andrew's writing is alive with wit, compassion and delicious humanity. He makes us care deeply. This is his gift.
ALISON STEADMAN
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His CV reads like an album of British TV drama's greatest hits over the past decade
THE INDEPENDENT
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He is a master of his craft. His gift lies in taking complex, sprawling novels and, while retaining the original spirit, boiling them down to something fast and fierce, full of fun and frolics.
THE GUARDIAN
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Davies […] is manifestly still at the top of his game.
DAILY MAIL
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What has turned him into the scriptwriter that no major television production can be without […] is his ability to go further, to seamlessly mimic the original to the extent that nobody ends up knowing quite who wrote that.
SUNDAY TIMES

























