Though screenwriting is an essential part of the film production process, in Britain it is yet to be fully recognised as a form in itself. In this original study, Jill Nelmes brings the art
of screenwriting into sharp focus, foregrounding the role of the screenwriter in British cinema from the 1930s to the present day.
Drawing on otherwise unseen drafts of screenplays, correspondence and related material held in the Special Collections of the BFI National Archive, Nelmes’s close textual analysis of the
screenplay in its many forms illuminates both the writing and the production process. With case studies of a diverse range of key writers – from individuals such as Muriel Box, Robert Bolt
and Paul Laverty, to teams such as theCarry On writers – Nelmes exposes the depth and breadth of this thriving field.