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Russell’s first novel, REBELS, set during the English Civil War, was published by Walker Books and optioned for feature film development by the BBC. He was also the ghost-writer on the autobiography of a well-known racehorse trainer. He is now working on new YA titles.

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An experienced television scriptwriter, Russell has written for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and S4C, his credits ranging from soap through to the top-rating A Touch Of Frost. He has had original projects commissioned by BBC Wales, BBC Scotland, BBC Northern Ireland, YTV, STV, S4C, numerous independents and the BFI. He has also written for both stage and radio and had a number of feature films in development.

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Other scriptwriting credits include McCallum (ITV), BMA award-winning Body Story (a 6-part science-medical-drama series for Channel 4/Discovery Channel) and a Welsh-language drama Rhag Pob Brad (S4C), starring Rhys Ifans. He is developing a number of new TV drama projects.

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After leaving university Russell worked as a script-reader/consultant for numerous TV and film companies. These include the Movie Acquisition Corporation, where he reported on major US/UK feature films, the European Script Fund (the largest feature film development fund in Europe and co-developer of numerous award-winning films), the BBC, LWT, TVS and Ffilm Cymru.

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He then became a BBC Drama Script Editor, working in both production and development for the BBC's first female Head of Drama, Ruth Caleb. He worked on co-productions, single dramas for Screen One and Screen Two and on projects ranging from comedy to animation. His credits include the Royal Television Society’s award-winning Selected Exits starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, episodes of BBC Wales Playhouse and Shot In A Shoebox, a 4 x 30’ series of short films/animation for BBC2 Wales on which he was producer.

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Russell has been reading and assessing scripts professionally for over thirty years. As a script editor. As a script reader and development consultant in both TV and film. For funding bodies, scriptwriting competitions and in Higher Education where he has worked as a scriptwriting lecturer, coach and external examiner.

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A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he has taught scriptwriting at Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan University, worked as External Examiner on the Screenwriting and Producing BA at Regent’s University, London and been a guest speaker at a number of other script development courses and events.

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​​You can follow Russell on Twitter @RussGascoigne1