MR James

Earlier this week members of the East Anglian Writers Steering Committee enjoyed watching A Pleasant Terror : The Life and Ghosts of M.R. James.  The 20-year old biopic  produced by Seventh House Films was directed by Clive Dunn and  unravelled the many aspects of  MR James life as an antiquarian, educator and writer of ghost stories. There were sequences of dramatization with Michael Elwyn playing MR James, the one time Provost of King College Cambridge and Eton College, and commentaries that included his biographer, Michael Cox, Jonathan Miller, D.J. Taylor,  Julia Briggs, Ruth Rendell and Ronald Blythe - all looking considerably younger.

The committee was particularly impressed by the amount of information packed into the I-hour TV film and by the lack of repetition which is so often a feature of modern documentaries.  MR James continues to be a popular author and recognised as a master of the genre.

The committee is planning to offer a wider showing to members of East Anglian Writers. Details to come via EAW website.