John le Carré: The Work of One Writer From Page to Screen

Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:00 PM

Starts: 17th September

(Anita Fernandez)

5-week course: £68.00

 

Join us as we explore the life and work of John le Carré, from his career in British intelligence to his emergence as one of the greatest espionage writers of the twentieth century.

Beginning with his early novels and their screen adaptations, including Call

for the Dead (A Deadly Affair) and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold,

we will follow the development of a writer whose work transformed the spy genre. The course will examine his masterful George Smiley novels, including Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in both its celebrated television and film versions, the unfilmed The Honourable Schoolboy, and Smiley’s People.

We will also explore later adaptations such as The Russia House starring

Sean Connery, A Most Wanted Man with Philip Seymour Hoffman, and the darkly satirical The Tailor of Panama. Through a combination of complete films, selected excerpts and discussion, we will trace the evolution of a storyteller whose insight and subtlety extended far beyond conventional espionage fiction.

Who inspired le Carré’s writing? How much of his own life found its way into his novels, particularly A Perfect Spy? And what attracted some of the finest actors of their generation—including two former James Bonds—to bring his unforgettable characters to the screen?

An engaging course for readers, film lovers and anyone fascinated by the shadowy world of espionage.