Estate of Gilbert Adair

 Agent:  Julian Friedmann

Gilbert's books page. 

Biography: Award-winning novelist, journalist, broadcaster and screenwriter. His script THE DREAMERS was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. LOVE AND DEATH ON LONG ISLAND was filmed, with masterly performances by John Hurt and Jason Priestley, directed by Richard Kwietniowski. BLIND MAN'S BLUFF was Gilbert's adaptation of his novel A CLOSED BOOK, directed by Raul Ruiz. 

At the time of his death, Gilbert had completed three new feature film scripts with Tom Kinninmont, two of which have now been optioned. He was also writing the book and lyrics for a musical based on his novel LOVE AND DEATH IN LONG ISLAND, and was developing a proposal for a television drama series based on the cases solved by Evadne Mount, the fictional detective in THE ACT OF ROGER MURGATROYD.

Film Scripts:

  • WITNESS THE NIGHT (Co-written by Tom Kinninmont. Thriller set  in India, adapted from the Costa prize-winning novel by Kishwar Desai.)

  • NANCY'S BOY (Wartime drama. Co-written with Tom Kinninmont. Optioned by Steve Clark-Hall (producer of Guy Ritchie's Sherlock). Based on real events.

  • THE GRAND COMPLIMENT (With Tom Kinninmont. Feature film, period drama)

  • KLIMT (Directed by Raoul Ruiz: English script adaptation. Starring John Malkovich, Veronica Ferres, Stephen Dillane and Saffron Burrows)

  • BEL CANTO (An adaptation for The Recorded Picture Company and Bernardo Bertolucci)

  • BLIND MAN'S BLUFF (Based on his novel A CLOSED BOOK. Producer: Tom Kinninmont. Director: Raoul Ruiz. Starring: Tom Conti and Daryl Hannah)

  • THE DREAMERS (The Recorded Picture Company. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Based on his novel)

  • THE TERRITORY (Directed by Raoul Ruiz. Screened at the London Strasbourg Film Festivals)

  • THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (Magic Light)

  • THE WOLF OF THE WEST COAST (Kanpai Productions: Translation / dialogue)

Television:

  • A proposal for a drama series based on the cases solved by Evadne Mount, the fictional detective in THE ACT OF ROGER MURGATROYD

Books published - fiction:

  • AND THEN THERE WAS NO ONE (2009)

  • A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR OF STYLE (2007)

  • THE ACT OF ROGER MURGATROYD (2005)

  • BUENAS NOCHES BUENOS AIRES (2004)

  • THE DREAMERS (2003. Winner of the Authors Club Award for the Best First Novel of the Year)

  • A CLOSED BOOK (1999)

  • THE KEY OF THE TOWER (1997)

  • THE DEATH OF THE AUTHOR (1992. Shortlisted for the James Tait. Black Award: 1993)

  • LOVE AND DEATH ON LONG ISLAND (1990)

  • THE HOLY INNOCENTS (1988. Won the Authors Club First Novel Award in 1989)

  • PETER PAN AND THE ONLY CHILDREN (1987)

  • ALICE THROUGH THE NEEDLE'S EYE (1984)

Books published - non-fiction:

  • THE REAL TADZIO (2001. Short Book Company. A biography of the boy who inspired Thomas Mann's DEATH IN VENICE)

  • MOVIES: AN ANTHOLOGY (1999. Penguin)

  • SURFING THE ZEITGEIST(1997. Faber and Faber)

  • FLICKERS: A HISTORY OF THE CINEMA IN 100 IMAGES (1995. Faber and Faber)

  • THE POSTMODERNIST ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1992. Journalism collection)

  • MYTHS AND MEMORIES (1986)

  • HOLLYWOOD'S VIETNAM (1981)

Book contributions:

  • ARIEL AT BAY (1990. An essay)

  • THE TIME OUT FILM GUIDE (1989. Entries)

  • LA PETITE VOLEUSE (1989. Preface)

  • REDISCOVERING FRENCH FILMS (1983. An essay)

  • WHAT'S WHAT IN THE 1980s (1982. Film entries)

  • ANATOMY OF THE MOVIES (1981. An essay)

Translations:

  • A VOID (1994. Harvill: Winner of the Scott Moncrief Prize for Translation of Perec's LA DISPIRATION)

  • LETTERS (1990. By Francois Truffaut:  Won the 1990 British Film Institute Book Award)

  • JOHN BOORMAN (1986. By Michel Ciment:  Won the 1986 British Film Institute Book Award)

  • KUBRICK (1983. By Michel Ciment)

  • ORSON WELLES (1974. By Andre Bazin. Cocteau essay)

Television journalism:

  • Saturday Review

  • Comment

  • The Late Show

  • Film Club

  • Film 1990