Colin Bateman

Colin Bateman (known mononymously as Bateman) is a novelist, screenwriter and former journalist from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland.
Biography
Born on 13 June 1962, Bateman attended Bangor Grammar School leaving at 16 when he was hired by Annie Roycroft to join the County Down Spectator as a "cub" reporter, then columnist and deputy editor. A collection of his columns was published as Bar Stool Boy in 1989.
Bateman has been writing novels since his debut, Divorcing Jack, in 1994. Divorcing Jack won a Betty Trask Award in the same year and was adapted into a 1998 film starring David Thewlis. Several of Bateman's novels featured the semi-autobiographical Belfast journalist, Dan Starkey.
His book Murphy's Law was adapted from the BBC television series Murphy's Law (2001–2007), featuring James Nesbitt. Bateman explains on his website that "Murphy's Law was written specifically for James Nesbitt, a local actor who became a big TV star through Cold Feet. The ninety-minute pilot for Murphy's Law on BBC 1 was seen by more than seven million people, and led to three TV series, on which I was the chief writer."
His 8 part series Scúp was written in English and translated into Irish. It was produced by Sterling Films & BBC Northern Ireland. A second series has since been commissioned.
His children's book Titanic 2020 was shortlisted for the 2008 Salford Children's Book Award.
Much of his work is produced under the name "Bateman" (rather than his full name); his 2007 novel I Predict a Riot bears (among others) the dedication: "For my Christian name, gone but not forgotten".
Since 2016 Bateman has moved increasingly into film, writing the screenplays for 'The Journey', starring Timothy Spall and Colm Meaney, and 'Driven' starring Jason Sudeikis and Lee Pace. Both films were premiered at the Venice Film Festival and selected for the Toronto Film Festival. He is currently writing films about Fidel Castro in New York, 'The Hotel Theresa' and the British double agent George Blake.
Novels
For children
Eddie & the Gang with No Name
Reservoir Pups (2003)
Bring Me the Head of Oliver Plunkett (2004)
The Seagulls Have Landed (2005)
Titanic 2020
Titanic 2020 (2007)
Titanic 2020: Cannibal City (2008)
SOS Adventures
Ice Quake (2010)
Fire Storm (2010)
Tusk (2011)
For adults
Dan Starkey
Divorcing Jack (1995)
Of Wee Sweetie Mice and Men (1996)
Turbulent Priests (1999)
Shooting Sean (2001)
The Horse with My Name (2002)
Driving Big Davie (2004)
Belfast Confidential (2005)
Nine Inches (2011)
Fire and Brimstone (2013)
The Dead Pass (2014)
Martin Murphy
Murphy's Law (2002)
Murphy's Revenge (2005)
Mystery Man
Mystery Man (2009)
The Day of the Jack Russell (2009)
Dr. Yes (2010)
The Prisoner of Brenda (2012)
Non-Series
Cycle of Violence (1995)
Empire State (1997)
Maid of the Mist (1999)
Mohammed Maguire (2001)
Wild About Harry (2001)
Chapter and Verse (2003)
I Predict A Riot (2007)
Orpheus Rising (2008)
Paper Cuts (2016)
Film and TV
Divorcing Jack (1998)
Crossmaheart (1998)
Wild About Harry (2000)
Turbulent Priests (Unproduced – Bateman having written the screenplay) (2000)
Watermelon (2003)
Scúp (TV, 2013–14)
The Journey (2016)
Driven (2018)
See also
List of Northern Irish writers
References
External links
Male novelists from Northern Ireland
Male television writers from Northern Ireland
Male screenwriters from Northern Ireland
1962 births
Living people
People from Bangor, County Down
People educated at Bangor Grammar School
20th-century novelists from Northern Ireland
21st-century novelists from Northern Ireland
20th-century male writers from Northern Ireland
21st-century male writers from Northern Ireland
Writers from County Down