A Single Man: Colin Firth

Love Actually

Who can resist Colin Firth? Not only does he have acting chops -- highlighted this awards season by Golden Globe and SAG wins and Oscar and BAFTA nominations for The King’s Speech--but did you know he’s a writer, too?

What a Girl Wants

OK, I’ll admit I’ve been a fan since his role as Darcy in the epic BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries--I still own the whole collection on VHS. And, yes, I watched him in Bridget Jones’s Diary, when he reprised his role as Darcy in this 2001 P&P adaptation.

So you can bet I was thrilled when, that same year, a short story written by Firth was included in a collection called Speaking with the Angel. The book also featured stories by Nick Hornby, Zadie Smith, Irvine Welsh, Patrick Marber, and others. Did Firth’s writing hold up against these popular writers? Yes!

His story, “The Department of Nothing,” follows eleven-year-old Henry, a sweet, quiet boy, whose only close relationship is with his aging grandmother. Her storytelling captivates Henry, who has an impressive imagination of his own. When his grandmother suffers a stroke, Henry is determined to finish the last story she started. This quiet and compassionate story will resonate with many readers.

Mamma Mia! There’s More!

Another treat: read an interview with Colin Firth in the Norton Critical Edition of Pride and Prejudice.

View a list  of SMCL’s available Colin Firth films and check out one (or two, or three) today!

Photo credit: Nicolas Genin

Author Bio: 

Karen Choy, Youth Services Librarian, swears that the novel Austenland is not based on actual events in her life.