Chris Nickson's "The Constant Lovers"

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Chris Nickson has written since he was a boy growing up in Leeds, starting with a three-paragraph school essay telling a tale of bomb disposal. That brought the revelation that he enjoyed telling stories, and then more stories, teenage poetry, and music, as both a bassist and then a singer-songwriter-guitarist.

Nickson spent 30 years living in the US, playing in bands and writing. He's made a living as a writer since 1994. Much of his work has been music journalism, combining the twin passions of music and writing, specializing in world and roots music. He's the author of The NPR Casual Listener's Guide to World Music and dozens of other non-fiction books, most of them quickie biographies.

The Constant Lovers is the latest of his Leeds novels featuring Richard Nottingham. Here he shares some thoughts about adapting the story for the big screen:

Quite frankly I’d have reservations about them making movies from my Richard Nottingham series. The characters would become concrete, set in my mind, and when I wrote I’d be seeing their faces and hearing their voices (they’re currently recording an audiobook of the first book in my series, The Broken Token, and hearing my characters’ words spoken by someone scares me a little for the same reasons).

However, if it were to happen I’d like Christopher Eccleston to play the lead. He’s Northern, for a start, a superb actor of seemingly limitless range, and one who can use silence as well as words. The age is about right, and he could bring quiet intensity to the role. For the other parts I’ve absolutely no idea; I consciously try not to think about it, as odd as that may seem…

One thing’s for certain, though, I’d want my friend Alice Nutter to write the script. She gets it, completely, and she’s a superb playwright for the screen, with an Emmy under her belt (more than justified) and an even more glittering career ahead.

Director? I think Ken Loach’s political heart would be in the right place.

Learn more about the book and author at Chris Nickson's website, and view the book trailer for The Constant Lovers.

--Marshal Zeringue