Arthur Hopcraft: scriptwriter and author

© Image Courtesy of the University of Salford, Archives and Special Collections

Arthur Hopcraft (1932-2004) was one of the great scriptwriters of his day, well known for his TV plays such as The Nearly Man, and for his small screen adaptations such as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Hard Times and Bleak House. Before taking up writing for TV, he was a highly respected sports journalist for the Guardian and the Observer, writing The Football Man: People and Passions in Soccer (1968), generally regarded as a masterpiece among sports books. He also had four other books published, including an autobiographical account of his childhood, and wrote the screenplay for the film Hostage. Hopcraft won the BAFTA writer’s award in 1985, but found it increasingly difficult to adapt to the changing demands of TV writing, what he called “being alternatively patronised and bullied by girls called Fiona flourishing clipboards”.

by Ian Johnston, University of Salford, Archives and Special Collections.

Collection descriptions

• Arthur Hopcraft: the collection includes research notes, scripts, production material, and correspondence, and also includes many scripts which were never produced, and ideas and projects which were never developed.
• Donald Piers Chesworth (1923-1991): Labour Party councillor and administrator; member of the National Committee, UK Freedom from Hunger Campaign, 1969-1976
• Letters and manuscripts of Charles Dickens (1812-1870): a collection of correspondence and reviews; Hopcraft adapted Dickens' novels Hard Times and Bleak House for television.
• Rudyard Kipling Papers - Wimpole Archive(1865-1936): papers of Kipling and his family; Hopkins adapted two of Kipling's short stories for television.
• Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989): papers of Daphne du Maurier and her family; Hopkins adapted du Maurier's novel Rebecca for television
• Nuremberg Trial: the International Military Tribunal was established in 1945 to deal with the punishment of the war criminals of the European Axis; Hopcraft was commissioned to write a drama based on the transcripts.

Suggested reading

Links are provided to records on Copac for these items. Copac is a merged online catalogues of many major University, Specialist, and National Libraries in the UK and Ireland, including the British Library. For more information about accessing items see the FAQs on the Copac website.

• Born to Hunger by Arthur Hopcraft, sponsored by the Freedom from Hunger Campaign (1968) Records on Copac
• Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities: a sourcebook edited by Ruth Glancy; includes an article by Hopcraft on his dramatisation of the novel (2006) Records on Copac
• The Football Man: people and passions in soccer by Arthur Hopcraft, with a new foreword by Michael Parkinson (new edition 2006, originally published 1968) Records on Copac
• The Great Apple Raid, and other encounters of a tin chapel tiro by Arthur Hopcraft (Educational edition, 1978, edited with introduction and notes by Vincent Whitcombe; originally published 1970) Records on Copac
• Mid-Century Men by Arthur Hopcraft (1982) Records on Copac
• Rebecca: the screenplay by Arthur Hopcraft; from the novel by Daphne du Maurier (1996) Records on Copac
• World Cup '70 written and edited by Hugh McIlvanney and Arthur Hopcraft (1970) Records on Copac

Television and film

• Agatha co-scripted with Kathleen Tynan (VHS, 2000, of the 1979 film) Records on Copac [IMDB]
• Bleak House (DVD, 2006, of the 1986 BBC mini-series) Records on Copac
• Hard Times (1977 mini-series) Records on Copac
• Hostage (1992): Hollywood spy thriller [IMDB]
• A Perfect Spy (1987 mini-series) [IMDB]
• Rebecca (videorecording of 1997 TV mini-series) Records on Copac
• A Tale of Two Cities (DVD, 2005, of the 1989 BBC mini-series) Records on Copac
• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (DVD, 2003, of the 1980 BBC mini-series) Records on Copac

Related links

• Arthur Hopcraft: filmography {IMDB website)
• Arthur Hopcraft: Guardian newspaper obituary
• Arthur Hopcraft Independent newspaper obituary
• Ken Jones: Arthur Hopcraft, world citizen and true 'Football Man': Independent newspaper Football section obituary
• Arthur Hopcraft: Times newspaper obituary
• Freedom from Hunger: the international development organization