A SERIES of leading authors, writers, politicians and sportsmen have picked their favourite Scottish book to be made into a movie or TV series.
In the week where the new Trainspotting film released its first trailer, the writers have revealed their favourite adaptations, including Irvine Welsh, who picks his own book Trainspotting, as does author Lemn Sissay and broadcaster and comedian Susan Calman.
The choices, given to the Scottish Book Trust, were revealed as the Book Week Scotland celebration continues to ask the public to vote for its own favourite adaptation – readers are being asked to choose from a short list of 40 on the event’s website.
Welsh said: “All I can really say about that is the genius of it lies with John Hodge [screenwriter of Trainspotting].
“Like Jon Baird with Filth, he knows when to leave source material alone, when to alter it and when to add new stuff in order to make a story in a book fly cinematically.”
Actor Gregor Fisher chose Whisky Galore!, from the book by Compton Mackenzie; former Business Secretary Vince Cable selected the film version of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark; while author Susan Fletcher plumped for Morvern Callar, the film made by Lynne Ramsay from Alan Warner’s book.
Author AL Kennedy has chosen another film based on a book by Irvine Welsh, saying: “The adaptation of Filth, because the director really loved it, and really thought about how to make that film work, and was a proper, obsessed enthusiast for it.
“And James McAvoy is just genius in it, and really understands how to be somebody that dark, I mean it’s an amazing performance.”
Acclaimed writer Eimear McBride chose the 1931 Rouben Mamoulian version of RL Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Mark Beaumont, the record breaking cyclist, chose a children’s book – The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, which was made into a show for the BBC.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the politician and former cabinet minister, chose John Macnab, by John Buchan, which was made into a TV series for the BBC in 1976.
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