Nick was born in 1961, studied English at Cambridge, and then lived for several years in the Alpujarras mountains in southern Spain, where he helped to edit the letters of Robert Graves.

Screenwriting

Nick adapted the acclaimed memoir ROMULUS MY FATHER by Raimond Gaita as a feature film for Arena Films in Australia, directed by Richard Roxburgh and starring Eric Bana and Franka Potente. The film won Best Feature and many other awards at the Australian Film Institute Awards.

He is currently writing features THE TIME IS NOW for producer Dan Lupovitz with Bruce Beresford directing (production spring 2013), BAGHDAD WEDDING, based on the play of the same name, for Focus Features, and also for Focus THE SILENT LAND to be directed by James Marsh. Nick is also adapating WHITE MOGULS by William Dalrymple for Rainmark Films, with Ralph Fiennes attached to direct. He has recently delivered an adaptation of the Chris Cleave novel LITTLE BEE to Gail Multux / BBC.

Mammoth Screen have optioned Nick’s RAHOTEP novels (see below) for a television series to be written by Patrick Harbinson

Fiction

NEFERTITI: THE BOOK OF THE DEAD, published in May 2006 by Bantam/Transworld, is the first of a trilogy of historical detective novels set over 30 revolutionary years in 18th Dynasty Egypt, and featuring the detective Rahotep. It was shortlisted by the CWA for Best First Novel. The second book TUTANKHAMUN was published in 2009. Rights to the trilogy have been sold to 14 different territories, including the USA, Spain, Italy, France and Russia. The concluding novel THE BOOK OF CHAOS, was publishedi n 2011.

Theatre 

Nick adapted TO REACH THE CLOUDS by Philipe Petite, an account of his 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers, for Giles Croft at Nottingham Playhouse in June 2006. He has also written a stage adaptation of Anna Funder’s prize-winning STASILAND. His one-hour play for young people, SUCCESS, was commissioned by the National’s Connections project, and performed at the Olivier Theatre.

His first play, ANGEL, commissioned by The Shadow Factory, premiered at Salisbury Playhouse in 2002, and was revived at the Bristol Old Vic Studio as part of the new writing season in 2003. It was broadcast on Radio 3 in 2005 under the title MR SWEET TALK

He has translated PERIBANEZ by Lope de Vega, which was performed at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, and THE BURNED GARDEN by Juan Mayorga performed at the Royal Court.

He has commenced work on an original libretto for English National Opera in collaboration with composer Tansy Davies.

Poetry

Nick has recently collaborated with United Visual Artists providing a poetic commentary  on a major installation at The National Maritime Museum in London.  His first collection of poems, THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT (Bloodaxe 1999) won the Waterstone’s/Forward Prize for Best First Collection in that year. It was also a Poetry Book Society Recommendation, and has been reprinted. His pamphlet CHOCOLATE AND SALT (Mandeville) won an Eric Gregory Award (Society of Authors). His next collection, FROM THE WORD GO was published in Spring 2007. He has also published a study of THE POETRY OF W B YEATS (Penguin 1991).

 

Editing and Development

Nick was Literary Manager at the Bush Theatre from 1990-1994, and then Head of Development at Intermedia Films until 2002 overseeing the creative development of projects including the Oscar nominated HILARY AND JACKIE, ENIGMA,IRIS<,SLIDING DOORS, THE QUIET AMERICAN, and THE GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING. He worked with a wide range of directors and writers, including Anthony Minghella and Terrence Malick. He was a Literary Associate at the National Theatre from 2004 to 2006.