Russell T Davies: The Queerest of Folk - A Life in Television

We are very very excited to welcome Russell T. Davies back to Edinburgh to discuss his new memoir, offering fans and readers a whistle stop tour of an iconic career from Doctor Who to It's A Sin, Queer as Folk to Coronation Street.

The Queerest of Folk distils Russell T Davies's career in television, taking us from his early days working on children’s shows and soaps through to the giddy heights of relaunching Doctor Who and bringing queer relationships onto the mainstream screen.

We’re offered a glimpse into the imagination of one of Britain’s most celebrated writers and foremost TV writers – what it is to feel the spark and flood and burn of ideas popping into your head – coupled with the day-to-day business of meetings and pitches, the frustrations and the hoots, over a career that has spanned five decades.

This is a memoir fizzing with a love for television and the power it has to draw us together in an increasingly fragmented world.

Our author: Russell T Davies is one of the UK's foremost writers of television drama, creating ground breaking shows such as Queer As Folk, Bob & Rose, Casanova, Cucumber, The Second Coming, and in 2018, A Very English Scandal for BBC One. He has been Head Writer and Executive Producer of Doctor Who since it returned to the BBC in 2005 and has written many of the new series' most memorable episodes. He was awarded an OBE in 2008 for services to drama. He divides his time between Cardiff and Manchester.

Our host:

Simon Savidge is the man behind Savidge Reads. He is -simply- infatuated with books Coming from a long line of Northern book lovers, Simon has loved books since he first encountered Elmer, who he has recently realised is his subconscious style icon. Most known for his YouTube channel, Savidge Reads, Simon has also appeared on the Booker Prize, BBC News 24/BBC One live show, has hosted a books section on Radio 5 Live and was a presenter on Sky Art’s Book Club Live.