Andrew Jackson Davis

Andrew Davies, born in Wales in 1936, is a distinguished screenwriter and novelist primarily recognized for his extensive work adapting classic literary novels for television. After receiving his education in English, he began his career in teaching before transitioning to writing for radio and television. His early television plays were often part of anthology series, and he also penned original serials. Davies gained significant recognition for his adaptation of R. F. Delderfield's "To Serve Them All My Days" and later for his original series "A Very Peculiar Practice," which drew on his educational background.

His career is marked by a prolific output of highly regarded adaptations of works by authors such as Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, George Eliot, and Leo Tolstoy. These adaptations, including "Pride and Prejudice," "Middlemarch," "Bleak House," "War & Peace," and "Les Misérables," have garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards, including Emmy Awards for his writing. Beyond television, Davies has also written screenplays for films, including the "Bridget Jones" series, and has a significant body of work for children, including novels and television series. He was made a BAFTA Fellow in 2002 and remains an active writer.

Born in Rhiwbina, Cardiff, Andrew Davies pursued his education in English at University College, London. He initially worked as a teacher before venturing into writing. His early contributions included material for BBC radio programs and his first radio play in 1964. Davies' foray into television began with his first broadcast play in 1967. While his early plays were often presented within anthology series, he later achieved significant recognition for his serial adaptation of R. F. Delderfield's "To Serve Them All My Days" in 1980. This success paved the way for a career largely defined by his masterful adaptations of classic literature for the screen. His original campus comedy-drama series, "A Very Peculiar Practice," also drew upon his experiences in education.

Andrew Davies is widely celebrated for his numerous highly successful television adaptations of seminal literary works. His credits include acclaimed versions of Charles Dickens' "The Signalman," "Bleak House," and "Little Dorrit," as well as Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility," and George Eliot's "Middlemarch." His adaptation of Michael Dobbs' "House of Cards" earned him his first Emmy Award. Further accolades include a second Emmy for his adaptation of Dickens' "Little Dorrit." Davies has also contributed to film, co-writing screenplays for the "Bridget Jones" movies and directing "Brideshead Revisited." He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1996.

Beyond his adult-focused adaptations, Andrew Davies has a substantial body of work aimed at younger audiences. His first children's novel, "Conrad's War," published in 1978, won the prestigious Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. He has created characters and series like "Alfonso Bonzo" and the adventures of "Marmalade Atkins," which have been adapted into both books and television series. Davies also wrote for educational television programs like BBC TV's "Look and Read." In his later career, he continued to adapt major works, including Leo Tolstoy's "War & Peace" and Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables" for the BBC, and has announced plans to adapt John Updike's "Rabbit, Run."