John Logan, the screenwriter who has worked on blockbuster films like The Aviator and Sweeney Todd, has one big tip for budding writers…

“What I say to to young writers is: read your Shakespeare. Read your Shelley. Read your Keats. Read your Byron. Love language”, he says.

Speaking as part of the 2011 BAFTA and BFI Screenwriters’ Lecture Series on 20 September, John Logan shared his experiences of the industry with a packed audience.

Widely regarded as one of Hollywood’s leading screenwriters, John Logan has collaborated with some of the most visionary directors of our time: Tim Burton, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg.

In particular, Logan is notable for the diversity of his projects. In 2011 alone his writing is at the heart of animated comedy Rango, Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut Coriolanus, Bond 23 directed by Sam Mendes, and Martin Scorsese’s Hugo.

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