With an endearing presentation inscription from the screenwriter of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy to its author. “To David, from another Methodist, Arthur Hopcraft, 16 September 79.”
Le Carré wrote to him at the end of filming Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy: “Just as we could not have had a better Smiley, so we could not have had a better writer than yourself.” (quoted by Sisman). Hopcraft’s Guardian obituary quotes the BBC head of drama as saying “Arthur wrote a really brilliant script. Everybody says how complicated a book it is, but also it is very simple; a man tracking down one of four people. One of the things Arthur was so marvellous at was in giving you a crystal clear line through things, honing it down to diamond-like clarity. Arthur became a king of that kind of work.” Less relevant but irresistible is his comment, used in The Guardian, about his aloneness “I tried both sexes, but ended up wishing they would all just go away”. Hopcraft (1932-2004), began his writing career as a football journalist before turning to screenplays.
The inscription is dated the week of transmission of the first episode - the series was one of the great triumphs of BBC drama, something of a defining statement about what TV series could achieve. The book is a memoir of his childhood.
From the library of David Cornwell aka John Le Carré.
Maggs Bros. Ltd., Catalogue 1526, John Le Carré: Books from The Library of Jane and David Cornwell at Tregiffian, Item 105.
