James studied English at Oxford University, wrote for Tank magazine in London, and then received a full scholarship for a Master’s in journalism at New York University. He began working as an assistant to the performance artist Marina Abramovic (“Good writer, worst assistant” – Abramovic on Westcott, to the New York Times). Clinging onto New York by his fingernails, he wrote for the Village Voice, the Guardian, and Art Review. He interned for the Associated Press (which included “guarding” the AP’s computer equipment, alone on the night shift, at Madison Square Garden before the 2004 Republican National Convention, wandering the empty arena and mounting the podium where Bush II would speak the next day). After a couple of years, he began writing an independent biography of Abramovic. When Marina Abramovic Dies was published by MIT Press in 2010. Living in Rotterdam, he was editor of the 2,528-page Rem Koolhaas book Elements of Architecture. James returned to London and joined Binocular in 2015 as Development Executive. He has worked with Matt Charman and many other writers to develop dozens of film and TV projects from first idea to final script. What he loves most is diving in deep, talking to writers to find the essence of their story, and making sure its authenticity shines through at every stage of the making process.