Colin Bateman

Colin Bateman (known mononymously as Bateman) is a novelist, screenwriter and former journalist from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland.

Born on 13 June 1962, Bateman attended Bangor Grammar School leaving at 16 to join the County Down Spectator as a "cub" reporter, then columnist and deputy editor. A collection of his columns was published as Bar Stool Boy in 1989.

Bateman has been producing novels since his debut, Divorcing Jack, in 1994. Divorcing Jack won a Betty Trask Award in the same year and was adapted into a 1998 film starring David Thewlis. Several of Bateman's novels featured the semi-autobiographical Belfast journalist, Dan Starkey.

His book Murphy's Law was adapted from the BBC television series Murphy's Law (2001–2007), featuring James Nesbitt. Bateman explains on his website that "Murphy's Law was written specifically for James Nesbitt, a local actor who became a big TV star through Cold Feet. The ninety-minute pilot for Murphy's Law on BBC 1 was seen by more than seven million people, and led to three TV series, on which I was the chief writer."

Has just completed the 8 part series "Scúp", Which he wrote in English but has been translated into Irish. It is in production by Sterling Films & BBC Northern Ireland. A second series has since been commissioned

His children's book Titanic 2020 has been shortlisted for the 2008 Salford Children's Book Award.

Much of his work is produced under the name "Bateman" (rather than his full name); his 2007 novel I Predict a Riot bears (among others) the dedication: "For my Christian name, gone but not forgotten".

• Divorcing Jack (1998)
• Crossmaheart (1998)
• Wild About Harry (2000)
• Turbulent Priests (Unproduced – Bateman having written the screenplay) (2000)
• Watermelon (2003)
• The Journey (2016)