Beta launches crime drama "Bookish" at inaugural Italian Global Series Festival

Beta is set to present the hit series "Bookish," starring Mark Gatiss, at the inaugural edition of the Italian Global Series Festival (IGSF), which builds on the legacy of the former Roma Fiction Fest. The six-part crime drama, produced by Eagle Eye Drama, will make its world premiere in the Drama Competition at the festival, held from June 21 to 28 in Rimini and Riccione.

Mark Gatiss comments: “I’m thrilled to have been invited to the inaugural Italian Global Series Festival. To return to Rimini where I had a holiday in 1980 and to be able to unveil 'Bookish' to a brand-new audience as well as host a TV-making masterclass is an absolute treat!”

Directed by Carolina Giammetta, "Bookish" will celebrate its world premiere on Tuesday, 24 June in attendance of main actor, creator and producer Mark Gatiss, who will also hold a television screenwriting masterclass during the festival. Besides world premieres, IGSF will offer several exciting activities like fan events with international and Italian talents, further masterclasses, and “first-looks” into upcoming series, presented by cast and crew for public audiences.

Featuring Emmy award winner Mark Gatiss, "Bookish" tells the story of a witty bookshop owner with an unusual name: Book. As a former military spy, now working as a detective and consultant for the police, Book is solving their most uncrackable cases. But he has a secret himself – as a gay man in the 1940s, he lives in a mutually agreed ‘lavender marriage’ with his childhood friend Trottie (Polly Walker). After having lost the love of his life in the war, Book’s past suddenly seems to catch up to him and poses a riddle that seems unsolvable, even for him. A stylish and colorful crime drama set in London in 1946 with a thoroughly modern sensibility and tone.

"Bookish" is produced by Eagle Eye Drama for UKTV and PBS in association with Happy Duck Films and supported by the Belgian Tax Shelter. Beta Film holds worldwide distribution rights on all seasons, while PBS Distribution holds the North American rights.