Researcher in Focus: Jill Nelmes

My most recent research came about almost by accident when I was trying to find screenplays for which more than one draft existed. I knew Special Collections held a range of screenplays but had little detail about the size and type of collections. When the curator told me about the scale of the Janet Green Collection, which consists of 52 boxes of screenplays and correspondence, I realized this was a fascinating opportunity to study the little known screenwriter of two especially important 'social issue' films of the late 50's and early 60's, Sapphire (1959) and Victim

The study of Green has led to further research on the screenplay, much of this based on the archival material held in Special Collections. I'm currently working on a book about the British screenwriter which will include reference to the David Lean Collection for the screenplays written by Robert Bolt, in which there is a wealth of fascinating detail about the unrealised projects they developed such as Mutiny on the Bounty and Nostromo.

Apart from researching BFI Special Collections I have been involved in launching the Journal of Screenwriting. The journal aims to promote academic research around the screenplay and to some extent bridge the gap between discussions of theory and practice. The first issue is out in September 2009 and at 217 pages in length is an impressive beginning with a range of diverse and fascinating articles, ranging from analysis of particular screenplays such as Marguerite Duras's script for Hiroshima Mon Amour (1960) to an outline of the screenwriting tradition in Danish film-making, to discussion of the use of the screenplay in American Indie Cinema.

Jill Nelmes is a senior lecturer at the University of East London and her interests lie in writing and analysing screenplays. She is currently working on two books, the first for Robert Hale on writing creative screenplays and the second for BFI/Palgrave on the British Screenwriter.