Simon Passmore

Agent:  Julian Friedmann

Biography: After graduating from Cambridge with a degree in English, Simon Passmore studied at Boston University on a graduate fellowship and worked part-time as a copy-editor at Little, Brown.  He returned to England with an MA and wrote a variety of journalism, from fine art reviews to features, for publications including THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, THE LISTENER, TIME OUT and THE CONTEMPORARY REVIEW.  Copywriting for a small advertising agency was followed by a stint as researcher and director on Channel Four magazine YEARS AHEAD. 

From here Simon went to the BBC as a script editor, and then producer, in the Drama Series & Serials department.  He worked closely with writers including Andrea Newman (four of whose television dramas he was later to produce), John Harvey, Jimmy McGovern, Peter Prince, Nigel Williams, Sarah Dunant, Debbie Horsfield, Adam Mars-Jones and Lynda La Plante.  As well as developing original screenplays, he script edited adaptations of works by a number of novelists, both period (Benjamin Disraeli, Arnold Bennett, Vita Sackville-West) and contemporary (Martin Amis, John Le Carré, R.F. Delderfield, John Fowles, Margaret Atwood). 

Visit Simon's books page. 

Radio writing:

  • EARWORM (Radio play BBC Radio 4)
  • LEVERAGE (Radio play, BBC Radio 4)
  • OFFSHORE (Radio play, BBC Radio 4 Extra)
  • ACCOMPLICES (Radio play, BBC Radio 4)
  • GOING TO GROUND (Radio play, BBC Radio 4)

Co-devised and co-wrote:

  • BUST (A drama series for LWT)

Producer:

  • A SENSE OF GUILT (The hugely successful Andrea Newman serial. Written simultaneously as a novel. BBC)
  • WHOSE BABY? (Written by Rosemary Kay. ITV)
  • FOYLE'S WAR (Written by Anthony Horowitz. First two series of ITV's commercial and critical hit series)
  • FORGIVE AND FORGET (By Mark Burt. Starring John Simm and Laura Fraser. Screened at the London and San Francisco film festivals)

Developer, editor and producer:

  • TRAITORS (By Jimmy McGovern. BBC)
  • DO NOT DISTURB (By Timberlake Wertenbaker. BBC)
  • THE LAW LORD (By John Cooper. BBC)
  • SECONDS OUT (By Lynda La Plante. BBC)
  • PRETENDING TO BE JUDITH (An original Andrea Newman drama. ITV)
  • IMOGEN'S FACE (An original three-part ITV serial. Developed with Andrea Newman. Topped the drama charts)
  • OUT OF HOURS (Medical series. BBC)
  • SEVENTEEN (Sandra Goldbacher's short feature. Starring Rachel Weisz)

Editor and producer:

  • AN EVIL STREAK (Adapted by Andrea Newman from her own novel. ITV)

Novel:

  • SLEEPING DOGS