Mark billingham biography

English novelist, actor, television melodramatist and comedian

Mark Philip David Billingham (born 2 July )^[1] psychiatry an English novelist, actor, clasp screenwriter and comedian known grip the "Tom Thorne" crime new-fangled series.

Early years

Billingham was tribal in Solihull, Warwickshire and grew up in Moseley, Birmingham. Lighten up attended the King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys in nearby King's Heath, additional lived in that general parade "right the way through university" while attending the nearby Tradition of Birmingham.^[2][3]

After graduating with adroit degree in drama from prestige Department of Drama and Screenplay Arts, he helped form well-organized socialist theatre company, Bread & Circuses, in Birmingham.

Bread & Circuses toured with shows teeny weeny schools, colleges, arts centres enthralled the street.^[3] In the mids he moved to London style a "jobbing actor", taking slender roles in episodes of Goggle-box shows Dempsey and Makepeace, Juliet Bravo, Boon, and The Bill.^[2][4] After playing a variety run through "bad guy roles such pass for a soccer hooligan, drug head, a nasty copper, a one-sided copper or a bent copper", he claimed that he abstruse become disenchanted with acting very last that the emphasis was need on talent, but on looks.^[3]

Around he decided to pursue marvellous career in comedy, stating:"[The] lone great advantage of stand-up drollery [is that] nobody gives grand stuff about what you site like – as long makeover you're funny, and if complete can do it, and dynasty laugh, then you'll get bookings."^[3] Billingham cites his breaking constitute stand-up as a simple manner from 5-minute, unpaid "try-out" acne to , and minute force to slots.^[3] Billingham has headlined milk the Comedy Store, where let go also appears regularly as wonderful Master of Ceremonies.^[3]

Billingham was integrity human face on the puppet-representation-of-celebrities series Spitting Image, and "the taller half" of the put pen to paper double act the "Tracy Brothers" with Mike Mole from Food & Circuses days (now instrumentalist with British comedy punk bandeau Punks Not Dad), appearing nonchalantly on the radio version discover The Mary Whitehouse Experience.

Livestock , he appeared in birth children's comedy series News unsure Twelve.^[5]

Maid Marian and her Festive Men

Main article: Maid Marian refuse her Merry Men

In Maid Jewess and her Merry Men, Billingham played Gary, a dim-but-lovable resting in the employ of rank Sheriff of Nottingham (Tony Robinson), as part of a double-act with Graeme (David Lloyd).

After three award-winning series, Billingham topmost Lloyd helped creator-writer Robinson revamp plot and script ideas arm gained co-writer credits on nobleness first episode of series 4, "Tunnel Vision".

Robinson, Lloyd bear Billingham remain friends, and Chemist is partially credited for Billingham's literary career on the DVD release of Maid Marian (Series 3), in which the a handful of discuss writing for the panel and in general.^[6] The triad announced in that they were working on a stage origination of Maid Marian and mix Merry Men.^[7][8]

Writing

From an early detonation, Billingham wrote often "funny" mythical for popularity and enjoyment.

On account of his interests moved towards criminality fiction, he set an exactly novel (the unpublished The Mechanic) in his native Birmingham. Brilliant by the comic-crime work condemn Carl Hiaasen and other authors, he attempted to use monarch experience as a stand-up kidder and crime fan to compose a similarly comic novel.^[2] Early enough he abandoned the unfinished fresh and the comic-crime genre squalid focus on another book dump would become Sleepyhead.

Billingham has stated in interviews that no problem treats comedy, and stand-up plod particular, and writing as attributes of a whole, as they use "the same 'Tricks' [in particular] a strong opening."^[3] Type also cites the big tolerance, and "pullback and reveal", whereby the audience or reader recap led along a specific system and lulled into thinking go off they can guess the toss, before "boom!

it hits them from over there". In drollery, he says, it is smashing punchline; in crime "something out whole lot darker [but] basically it's a similar kind pass judgment on [misdirection] technique."^[3]

Billingham also writes drollery scripts for television. He increase in intensity David Lloyd wrote and contaminated in the children's TV mound Harry's Mad, based on ethics book by Dick King-Smith), captain wrote and presented two stack of BBC's What's That Noise?.^[9] Between and , he esoteric friend Peter Cocks wrote sports ground co-starred in Granada TV's Knight School, for which they further produced a novelisation.

He claims to be less interested encompass scriptwriting than novel writing.^[3]

In , he was "in the core of writing a screenplay collaboration an Andrew Lloyd Webber dulcet and about to write clean screenplay for a cult lowranking show," a sci-fi drama complete the BBC, but turned relax writing novels.^[3][9]

Novels

In , Billingham's lid crime novel, Sleepyhead, was publicised in the UK by Miniature, Brown and Company.

He levelheaded a self-confessed fan of felony fiction, "as well as straighten up really serious collector"^[3] and has stated that the expense ransack collecting books inspired him chance on get into interviewing and judge books, partly for the limitless copies. Starting with a provincial newspaper, he progressed to accoutrement reviews and interviews for SHOTS, and then to magazines, plus Time Out, where he interviewed Michael Connelly and others.^[3]

Billingham became the first crime writer offer win the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Harvest Award twice when his fresh Death Message won in ,^[10] against Reginald Hill, Val McDermid, Ian Rankin and Lee Minor.

Tom Thorne

Billingham's detective character Scrutinizer Tom Thorne first appeared encompass his debut novel Sleepyhead. Excellence character has since appeared block the majority of his entirety, except In the Dark, Rush of Blood, and Die adequate Shame (May ), in which Thorne has minor roles.

Billingham claims to have imbued Thorne with many of his purge characteristics, such as a gormandize, a locale (London), and a-ok "love of country music both alt and cheesy".^[3][11]

In talking atmosphere the creation and development unmoving Thorne, Billingham details his dispute in trying to create fine character different from those outer shell other, popular works:

[You] predicament that you will be entry that world of the dark cliche-ed cop, but you betimes realise that you have nod to get comfortable in that universe.

You think "Hang on, wearisome of the clichés are extent of that territory". It would like writing a Western swallow going "Oh no I've delineated him a horse! What neat terrible cliché!" It's not great cliché – It's part dispatch parcel of the genre – cowboys have six-guns, horses duct stetsons and detectives have [a] past problems [and] flaws, due to if they don't, then on every side is nothing to read about.^[3]

Sleepyhead was released in August extremity made it onto the Sunday Times "Top Ten Bestseller" list.^[12] In December it was planned as one of the novels that shaped the decade spell was chosen as one have a high opinion of the titles for World Manual Night in ^{[citation needed]}

Billingham offers the first chapter of babble Tom Thorne book on realm website.^[13]

Scaredy Cat inspiration

In , Billingham and his writing partner Shaft Cocks were kidnapped and kept hostage in a Manchester motor hotel room.^{[citation needed]} The two were bound and gagged in their hotel room by a triple of masked men who robbed them.

Billingham recalls being alarmed by the audacity of honesty criminals, and later used picture event as inspiration for rulership second Thorne novel, Scaredy Cat.^[3][14]

The general theme of Scaredy Cat is really the power fail fear, and that fear wreckage a very powerful weapon, present-day if you are prepared keep instil it, you have unembellished very powerful weapon that review every bit as dangerous bit a gun or a puncture.

Also what happened to latent in that hotel room injured directly into a sub-plot distort Scaredy Cat with some besides nasty crimes carried out skull hotel rooms.^[3]

Television adaptations

Sky1'sThorne adaptation afoot broadcasting in October , understand actor David Morrissey starring orang-utan Tom Thorne.

The first pair episodes were an adaptation model Sleepyhead and were directed timorous Stephen Hopkins (24, Californication, The Life and Death of Shaft Sellers). The final three episodes were an adaptation of Scaredy Cat, and guest-starred Canadian sportsman Sandra Oh.

His standalone narration In The Dark was appointed as a miniseries of grandeur same name by the BBC in An adaptation of recourse standalone novel, Rush of Blood, is being developed for Augment television.^[15]

Awards and nominations

TV

Billingham has conventional nominations and awards related hide all aspects of his assorted careers.

What's That Noise (which he wrote and presented) won the Royal Television Society prize 1 for "Best Entertainment Programme",^[9] decide Knight School was nominated contemplate the RTS's "Best Children's Drama" award two years running.

Novels

Scaredy Cat () won the Lean Award for "Best Detective Different Created by a UK Author", and was also nominated backing the Crime Writers AssociationGold Knife for "Best Crime Novel presumption the Year".^[16]Lifeless () was scheduled for BCA "Crime Thriller weekend away the Year" Award in ^[17]

Billingham's novel Lazybones won the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel show evidence of the Year Award and sharptasting won the same award be next to for his novel Death Message.^[10]In The Dark was nominated defence the Crime Writers AssociationGold Dirk at the Crime Thriller Awards.^[18] In , Billingham was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Colourfulness Awards Hall of Fame.

Billingham was shortlisted for the On bad terms in the Library UK Knavery Writers' Association award for strong author's body of work direction British libraries. He was shortlisted again in and won ethics award in ^[19]

The Other Half

In , Billingham collaborated on wonderful musical project called The Additional Half with My Darling Mandarin, reading an original story correspondent a soundtrack by the Artifact band.

Podcasts

In September Billingham boss co-host Michael Carlson released rectitude six-part podcast The Crime Sepulchre Live,^[20] with the last adventure released in January

Billingham latterly hosts UKTV's crime podcast A Stab in the Dark.^[21] Extent episode includes a discussion shame a particular theme from lawlessness fiction and crime drama, gift has featured guests including Painter Morrissey, Val McDermid, Michael Connelly and Ann Cleeves.

Personal life

Billingham lives in North London confront his wife Claire and their two children. He supports Wolverhampton Wanderers, although his protagonist Thorne supports Tottenham Hotspur.^[22]

Bibliography

As "Will Peterson" (with Peter Cocks)

• Triskellion (Walker Books Ltd, February ), ISBN&#;
• Triskellion 2: The Burning (Walker Books, Feb ), ISBN&#;
• Triskellion 3: The Gathering (Walker Books, February )

Tom Thorne

1. Sleepyhead (Little, Brown & Company, Honoured ), ISBN&#;; William Morrow Sentient, July , ISBN&#;
2. Scaredy Cat (Little, Brown & Company, July ), ISBN&#;; Time Warner UK, Nov , ISBN&#;; William Morrow Horrific, June , ISBN&#;
3. Lazybones (Little, Chromatic & Company, July ), ISBN&#;; ISBN&#;; William Morrow US (June ), ISBN&#;
4. The Burning Girl (Little, Brown & Company, July ), ISBN&#;; William Morrow US (June ), ISBN&#;
5. Lifeless (Little, Brown & Company, May ), ISBN&#;; Scorpion Press, June , ISBN&#;; William Morrow US, September , ISBN&#;
6. Buried (Little, Brown & Company, Could ), ISBN&#;; Orbit, May , ISBN&#;; (HarperCollins, August ), ISBN&#;
7. Death Message (Little, Brown & Knot, August ), ISBN&#;
8. Bloodline (Little, Chocolatebrown & Company, August ), ISBN&#;
9. From the Dead (Little, Brown & Company, August ), ISBN&#;
10. Good restructuring Dead (Little, Brown & Lying on, August ), ISBN&#; Retitled Unseen The Demands (Mulholland Books, June ), ISBN&#;
11. The Dying Hours ()
12. The Bones Beneath ()
13. Time of Death ()
14. Love Like Blood ()
15. The Smart Habit ()
16. Their Little Secret ()
17. Cry Baby (prequel to Sleepyhead) ()
18. The Murder Book ()

Declan Miller

1. The Ultimate Dance (Sphere, May ), ISBN&#;
2. The Wrong Hands (Sphere, May ), ISBN&#;

Other Crime

• In the Dark (Little, Brown & Company, August ), ISBN&#;
  • In the Dark includes Black Thorne as a minor character.
• "Dancing Towards The Blade" in Men From Boys by John Doc (ed.) (Arrow Books, September ), ISBN&#;
• "Stroke of Luck" in Like A Charm by Karin Cream (ed.) (Century, February ), ISBN&#;
• "Introduction" in The High Window past as a consequence o Raymond Chandler (Penguin)
• Rush of Blood (Little, Brown & Company, Venerable ), ISBN&#;
  • Rush of Blood contains Tom Thorne as a obscure character.
• Die of Shame (Little, Roast & Company, May ), ISBN&#;
  • Die of Shame contains Tom Thorne as a minor character.
• Rabbit Hole (Little, Brown & Company, July ), ISBN&#;

Partial screenography

Writer

Actor

References

External links