RUSSELL LINEY
RUSSELL LINEY was born in Leicester in 1957. As a student of the arts, he covered all aspects of design required for working within the advertising industry and became proficient in a variety of art forms: graphic design, illustration, typography, calligraphy, photography,
silk screen printing, painting and fine art.
From 1976 to 1984 Russell worked in Nottinghamshire and London as a graphic designer and exhibited his illustrations and photographs in London and North Yorkshire.
In 1993 Russell became a freelance designer and photographer, working for the charities
TRADE East Midlands and MESMAC London in the production of educational material
in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
"I started to write in 2004. My writing is influenced by any number of things, including novels, biographies, philosophical writing; independent, cult, classic, silent, and art house cinema; modern abstract painting, the symbolism movement, modern abstract sculpture, 20th century architecture; the gay rights movement, the historical aspects and the progression of gay films through the decades;
and the futility of war.
"First I wrote, produced, directed, and edited on video tape, two short independent art films:
NARCISSUS and SEVEN DEADLY SINS.
"My first full-length play for the stage, MORE THAN A WOMAN - inspired by the courage, determination, and talent of the screen actress Bette Davis in an industry run and dominated mainly by men - originated in 2004 as a short radio play titled, THE ALLEY DUSE.
In 2006 I expanded THE ALLEY DUSE into a one act play, titled,
AN EVENING IN THE COMPANY OF A FALLING STAR.
On the advice of BBC film producer, Mark Shivas, I completely revised and extended
AN EVENING IN THE COMPANY OF A FALLING STAR into a two act play with cabaret numbers,
and an optional prologue: MORE THAN A WOMAN.
MORE THAN A WOMAN premiered in 2015 at the University of Leicester, performed by L U Theatre
and was published in paperback, in 2018.
"Two more plays THE BOYS ON THE ROCK and STEAMING QUEENS are works in progress.
A short film screenplay, THE LAST DANCE BEFORE THE CHIMES OF MIDNIGHT is a work in progress.
A novella: OUTLAWS OF THE GREENWOOD is a work in progress, nearly completed.
My first full length novel, MY DEATH WAITS THERE… is awaiting publication.
"I published a trilogy of appraisals about the trilogy of films by writer and director, Jon Garcia: THE FALLS, TESTAMENT OF LOVE and COVENANT OF GRACE.
"My complete full-length screenplay, SANDS-END - set between 1984 and 1987 - was inspired by many visits to the town of Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast. The Gothic atmosphere of the town before the day-trippers had arrived and after they had left, the remoteness of Sands-end village, the local painters, sculptors, and potters, Whitby’s remoteness from large towns and cities and its close proximity to the North Yorkshire moors, Whitby’s influence on writers of supernatural stories, the relentless cold weather conditions, the hardened colour of the local residents, and the folk music scene; all of which I absorbed over a period of 30 years have formed the backbone of the screenplay."
MY VISION
My purpose in writing is to satisfy my need to create passionate and engaging works for public consumption. My ultimate aim is to
find a publisher for my completed writing,
and an agent to pitch and promote my completed screenplays and stage plays.
I am currently acting as self manager and agent
in the process of sending out proposals of the following completed works to individual
film production companies.
The original stage play and screenplay of my play:
More Than A Woman
A short original screenplay:
The Last Dance
Before The Chimes Of Midnight
And an original full length feature screenplay:
Sands-end
I am compiling a directory of talented,
new film makers, working within the UK;
some of whose films I have facilitated,
and whose talents I will utilise in the
event of producing my films cooperatively.
SELF PUBLISHING
The other option and direction I take, is to go down the self-publishing route and design and distribute the books myself.
Speaking from experience, this is far easier, and not as expensive as some independent writers might think.
In 2018 I designed and co-produced my play,
More Than A Woman - pictured above - in
paperback book format.
Photograph of Bette Davis in the Public Domain