James Edward Cooray Smith (born in

Solihull Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe i ...

in 1978) is a British writer, critic and columnist of patrilineal Indian descent. He has written for journals including ''

New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...

'' and '' Prospect''. He has also contributed to the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' audio and DVD range.

Career

A graduate of

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

, Cooray Smith has written radio drama and comedy. He has contributed to numerous

news News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different Media (communication), media: word of mouth, printing, Mail, postal systems, broadcasting, Telecommunications, electronic communication, or through the tes ...

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

and

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

magazines. He has a specific interest in British television history. Asked about his long-term habit of co-writing with a variety of people, Cooray Smith commented: "I've written things with a lot of different people, partially because I'm a great believer in third brain theory, and partially as a series of attempts to disguise my own lack of talent!" In 2017, he responded to the casting of

Jodie Whittaker Jodie Whittaker (born 17 June 1982) is an English actress who is best known for portraying the thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor in ''Doctor Who'' (2017–2022) and as Beth Latimer in ''Broadchurch'' (2013–2017). She came to prominence ...

in ''

'' by writing an article describing those who disagreed with the lead character's sex change of being misogynistic. His article was entitled "Uncomfortable with a female Doctor Who? It’s time to admit your real motives".

Bibliography

New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
Columns

http://www.newstatesman.com/writers/321282

Hero Collector Writer's Page

http://herocollector.com/en-gb/About/james-cooray-smith

Non-Fiction Books

* ''The Life and Trials of Ally McBeal'' (2000) (with

Mark Clapham Mark Clapham (born 1976) is a British author, best known for writing fiction and reference books for television series, in particular relating to '' Doctor Who'' (and its spin-offs) and Warhammer 40,000. Writing Clapham started out writing ''D ...

) * ''Manhattan Dating Game: Sex and the City'' (2002) * ''Tim Burton'' (2002) (with J Clive Matthews) * ''Bond Films'' (2003) (with Stephen Lavington) * ''George Lucas'' (2003) * ''Gangster Films'' (2004) * ''The Lord of the Rings: The Books, the Films, the Radio Series'' (2005) (with J Clive Matthews) * ''Quentin Tarantino'' (2005) * ''Who's Next? A Guide To Broadcast

'' (2005) (with

and

Eddie Robson Eddie Robson (born 20 December 1978) is a British writer and novelist best known for his sitcom '' Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully'' and his work on a variety of spin-offs from the BBC Television series ''Doctor Who''. He has w ...

) * ''

The Black Archive ''The Black Archive'' is a series of critical monographs about selected individual '' Doctor Who'' stories, from the series' earliest history to the present day. Rather than focusing on behind-the-scenes production history as much ''Doctor Who' ...

#2:

The Massacre ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'

(2015) * ''

#14:

The Ultimate Foe ''The Ultimate Foe'' is the fourth and final serial of the larger narrative known as ''The Trial of a Time Lord'' which encompasses the whole of the 23rd season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadca ...

'

(2017) * ''

The Silver Archive ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

#3:

Sapphire and Steel ''Sapphire & Steel'' is a British television supernatural sci-fi/fantasy series starring David McCallum as Steel and Joanna Lumley as Sapphire. Produced by ATV, it ran from 1979 to 1982 on the ITV network. The series was created by Peter J. ...

Assignments 5 &

(2018)

Short fiction

* "A Gallery of Pigeons"' (2009) in ''

Secret Histories Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

'' * "'Excalibur of Mars" (2009) in '' Present Danger'' * "The Found World" (2010), in ''

Miss Wildthyme and Friends Investigate Obverse Books is a British publisher initially known for publishing books relating to the character Iris Wildthyme, and currently for the '' Black Archive'' series of critical books on ''Doctor Who,'' and two sister series - the Gold Archive, ...

Radio and Audio work

''
That Mitchell and Webb Sound ''That Mitchell and Webb Sound'' is a comedy sketch show on BBC Radio 4 which started on 28 August 2003. A second series was broadcast in 2005 with a third starting on 24 May 2007. The series became adapted for television as '' That Mitchell and ...
''

Series Four (2009) (sketch writer)

Bernice Summerfield Bernice Surprise Summerfield (later Professor Bernice Summerfield or just Benny) is a fictional character created by author Paul Cornell as a new companion of the Seventh Doctor in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length ''Doctor Who ...

* ''

The Adventure of the Diogenes Damsel ''The Adventures of the Diogenes Damsel'' is a Big Finish Productions audio drama featuring Lisa Bowerman as Bernice Summerfield, a character from the spin-off media based on the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor ...

'' (2008)

''
Kaldor City ''Kaldor City'' is a series of audio plays using elements from the British TV series '' Doctor Who'' and ''Blake's 7''. Many of the elements borrowed from these series for use in ''Kaldor City'' were originated by Chris Boucher, who wrote for '' ...
''

* ''Occam's Razor'' (2000) (with Alan Stevens) * ''Hidden Persuaders'' (2003) (with

Fiona Moore Fiona Moore is a Canadian academic, writer and critic based in London (UK). She is best known for writing works of TV criticism, short fiction, stage and audio plays (being one of the original members of the Magic Bullet Productions writing team a ...

)

Doctor Who DVD Production History Notes

* ''

The Twin Dilemma ''The Twin Dilemma'' is the seventh and final serial of the 21st season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 22 March to 30 March 1984. In the serial, the al ...

'' (2009) * ''

The Space Museum ''The Space Museum'' is the seventh serial of the second season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Written by Glyn Jones and directed by Mervyn Pinfield, it was broadcast on BBC1 in four weekly parts from 24 Ap ...

'' (2010) * ''

Underworld (Doctor Who) ''Underworld'' is the fifth serial of the 15th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 7–28 January 1978. In the serial, the crew of an alien Minyan ...

'' (2010) * ''

Kinda Kinda or Kindah may refer to: Politics and society *Kinda (tribe), an ancient and medieval Arab tribe *Kingdom of Kinda, a tribal kingdom in north and central Arabia in – Places * Kinda, Idlib, Syria * Kinda Hundred, a hundred in Sweden * Kinda ...

'' (2011) * ''

Snakedance ''Snakedance'' is the second serial of the 20th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts on BBC1 from 18 to 26 January 1983. The serial is set on the planet Ma ...

'' (2011) * ''

The Ark (Doctor Who) ''The Ark'' is the fifth serial of the third season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 to 26 March 1966. The serial is set at least ten million years in th ...

'' (2011) * ''

The Sun Makers ''The Sun Makers'' is the fourth serial of the 15th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 26 November to 17 December 1977. The serial is set on Pluto. ...

'' (2011)

References

External links

Steven Poole's 'Non Fiction Choice' Review of 'Tim Burton' from 'The Guardian'

Shiny Shelf website
(No Longer Updated)
Kaldor City website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, James Cooray 1978 births Alumni of University College London British biographers British dramatists and playwrights British film critics British male dramatists and playwrights British male novelists British science fiction writers Living people People from Solihull Male biographers

Career

Bibliography

New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ... Columns

Hero Collector Writer's Page

Non-Fiction Books

Short fiction

Radio and Audio work

''That Mitchell and Webb Sound ''That Mitchell and Webb Sound'' is a comedy sketch show on BBC Radio 4 which started on 28 August 2003. A second series was broadcast in 2005 with a third starting on 24 May 2007. The series became adapted for television as '' That Mitchell and ...''

Bernice Summerfield Bernice Surprise Summerfield (later Professor Bernice Summerfield or just Benny) is a fictional character created by author Paul Cornell as a new companion of the Seventh Doctor in Virgin Publishing's range of original full-length ''Doctor Who ...

''Kaldor City ''Kaldor City'' is a series of audio plays using elements from the British TV series '' Doctor Who'' and ''Blake's 7''. Many of the elements borrowed from these series for use in ''Kaldor City'' were originated by Chris Boucher, who wrote for '' ...''

Doctor Who DVD Production History Notes

References

External links

New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
Columns

''
That Mitchell and Webb Sound ''That Mitchell and Webb Sound'' is a comedy sketch show on BBC Radio 4 which started on 28 August 2003. A second series was broadcast in 2005 with a third starting on 24 May 2007. The series became adapted for television as '' That Mitchell and ...
''

''
Kaldor City ''Kaldor City'' is a series of audio plays using elements from the British TV series '' Doctor Who'' and ''Blake's 7''. Many of the elements borrowed from these series for use in ''Kaldor City'' were originated by Chris Boucher, who wrote for '' ...
''