James Runcie announced as London Book & Screen Week Ambassador 2019 as festival opens submissions for third CAMEO Awards
· Announcement comes following announcement that the 4th series of The Grantchester Mysteries TV adaptation (Grantchester) will air from Friday 11 January, 2019 on ITV
· Winners of the 2019 CAMEO Awards will be announced at an exclusive event on Monday 11 March 2019, kick starting the festival’s week of events
James Runcie has today been announced as Ambassador for London Book & Screen Week, as the festival returns for its fifth year in 2019. Writer, director and author of popular series The Grantchester Mysteries (Bloomsbury), Runcie follow in the footsteps of David Nicholls (2017) and Jojo Moyes (2018) as Ambassador and will champion a specially curated programme of events for the festival - the capital’s biggest ever celebration of books and the films, TV programmes and virtual worlds they inspire.
Taking place from 11th-17th March 2019, London Book & Screen Week also announced the return of the Creativity Across Media: Entertainment and Originality Awards (CAMEOs). Sponsored by Audible and run in partnership with the Publishers Association, the CAMEOs celebrate the best adaptations across 5 categories: TV, film, stage, game, audio and Interactive Entertainment. The awards ceremony will take place Monday 11th March 2019, kick starting the festival’s week of events, with awards presented by Ambassador, James Runcie.
Commenting on his role, James Runcie says;
"I am delighted to take part in a week that celebrates the extraordinary power of storytelling: its themes and variations developing across multiple genres, and its unique ability to conjure up alternative lives and worlds that make our own far richer as a result."
Jacks Thomas, Director of The London Book Fair and London Book & Screen Week, says:
“We are so pleased that James has agreed to take up the baton as this year’s London Book & Screen Week Ambassador. A film-maker, director and author, and with a much-anticipated fourth Grantchester series recently confirmed, James is a fantastic success story illustrating the ever-growing creative industries’ cross-collaboration
As we prepare to expand the CAMEOs beyond UK borders, putting British intellectual properties front and centre on a global stage, we are delighted to have such a talented champion as James in this leading role."
Entries are open to any individual or organisation in the UK who has successfully transformed a book IP into another format or, alternatively, created a book from film, theatre, TV or an interactive product. Judges will be looking for demonstration of both quality and success from entries, including, but not limited to: box office ticket sales; reviews; press coverage; critical acclaim; social media profile; peer-to-peer recommendation, and industry prize nominations. Submissions will close 5 February 2019.
Expert judges from all sectors of the entertainment industry will deliberate across each of the categories, chaired by intellectual property and publishing expert, Helen McAleer.
Shortlists will be announced in February, with the winner being announced at a special ceremony held at Soho House White City on Monday, 11th March 2018.
Submissions are open online now. For further information, and to enter, please visit http://www.londonbookandscreenweek.co.uk/cameo-awards/
The CAMEO Awards will kick off London Book & Screen Week (11 - 17 March 2018), launching the seven day series of events celebrating books and the films, TV programmes and virtual worlds they inspire, including a headline event with London Book & Screen Week Ambassador, James Runcie.
ENDS
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