James Watson

I chiefly write novels and plays, setting them in countries across the world where human rights either don't exist or are under attack. Talking in Whispers, set in Chile during the overthrow of the elected president Allende, was Highly Commended in the Carnegie Awards, winner of The Other Award and the Buxtehuder Bulle Prize.

Justice of the Dagger, set in East Timor where the livelihood of the native people is threatened by the destruction of the rain forest, was a Waterstone's Book of the Month.

So far six of my books are now available on Kindle: The Freedom Tree, set in the Spain of the Civil War, Talking in Whispers, Justice of the Dagger, Ticket to Prague set in the era of the 'Velvet Revolution'in post-Soviet Europe and a novel about women's soccer and human rights in Ukraine, Fair Game: The Steps of Odessa.

My latest novel, PIGS MIGHT FLY, is a light-hearted tale of when only the posh could afford a TV and computer games and smartphones were a distant dream. Pigs is an e-book original issued on Kindle in April 2013.

Here is a review that was posted on Amazon Kindle with 5 stars:

A CAPER LADEN GEM 2 May 2013

Pigs Might Fly is a wonderful evocation of life in the recent past, however the passion shown by the main protagonist to preserve the local cinema remains as relevant today. This is fast moving, caper laden story of complex relationships, commercial greed and love of our cultural heritage.

James Watson is clearly passionate about film and the education of his readers and this book will have you scampering to hire or buy some of the many films referenced in the course of the narrative as well as looking more closely at the architectural gems that are our old cinema buildings.

This is a truly enjoyable book and it is to be hoped that a television producer chances upon it as Watson's expressive writing would translate very easily into a wonderful film. Buy this book, you will love it.

Other books of mine are: Sign of the Swallow, The Bull Leapers, Legion of the White Tiger, No Surrender, Where Nobody Sees and Make Your Move (a book of short stories).

Plays for production or simply reading: Banned! Tom Paine, This Was Your Life and Gotcha! Wars-R-Us.com. both published by CollinsEducational. I have had four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. A four-part dramatisation of my novel No Surrender set in Angola during the civil war in that country was broadcast on BBC 5, before the station shifted gear into sport, shedding a bright legacy of innovative children's radio programmes.

Academic publications: Media Communication: An Introduction to Theory and Process (Palgrave Macmillan, 3rd edition) and, co-authored with Anne Hill, The Dictionary of Media and Communication Studies (8th edition, 2012 - see picture of the cover below).

My monthly blog on aspects of writing,culture and politics can be found at Watsonworksblog.blogspot.com.