Simon Curtis, who is directing Cranford Chronicles, a major BBC costume drama series this autumn, is to discuss TV's impact on books this Sunday afternoon September 2nd. He has joined the panel session at the Ealing Literary Festival, which takes place on Acton Green, opposite Turnham Green tube station.

Curtis, who lives locally, was the director of the BBC's star-studded David Copperfield, which featured Daniel Radcliffe as the young David, before he became Harry Potter. He also directed Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky, starring Zoe Tapper, from the book by Chiswick author Patrick Hamilton. He is currently directing Cranford Chronicles from the novels by Elizabeth Gaskell, with stars such as Dame Judi Dench, Francesca Annis, Dame Eileen Atkins and Sir Michael Gambon.

The panel has also been joined by the novelist Amanda Lees ('Selling Out'), whose latest book has been nominated for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize; and by the historian and former TV producer Karen Liebreich ('Fallen Order'), who has written books about business, sports, infant care and children’s stories, as well as history.

Other panellists are the Guardian's comedy writer William Cook, whose latest book Morecambe & Wise Untold is out in October, and actress, writer and broadcaster Ros Adler. The panel will be chaired by the BBC's media correspondent Torin Douglas and takes place at from 4.15 to 5pm on Sunday in the Bedford Park Book Corner at the Festival.

The Ealing Literary Festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday, September 1 and 2. It will be opened at 12 noon on Saturday by Richard Briers.

August 30, 2007