Amy Jenkins
Encyclopedia
Amy Jenkins is an English novelist and screenwriter. She is the daughter of the late political journalist Peter Jenkins
and the stepdaughter of The Guardian
columnist and author Polly Toynbee
.
After attending Westminster School
(which only admits young women to the sixth-form) she studied law at University College London
. Jenkins turned to writing and in 1996 achieved her first significant success with This Life
, a BBC television drama
series about the lives and loves of a household of solicitors and barristers. She devised the series and wrote several episodes.
Other film, television and journalism work followed and in 1998 she secured a two-novel contract, her first novel, Honeymoon, appearing in 2000. Although it was the second biggest debut novel
of the year, selling over 250,000 copies in the UK and Commonwealth, critics noted that a central plot device in Jenkins' work possessed a striking similarity to the premise of Noel Coward
's play Private Lives
. In Honeymoon a man and woman who seven years previously had a brief affair meet again when they find themselves staying in adjacent hotel rooms on their respective honeymoons; at the opening of Coward's play a divorced couple find themselves honeymooning in adjacent hotel rooms. Her second novel, "Funny Valentine", was published in 2002. She wrote and produced the feature film Elephant Juice, released in 2000. She has directed three short films including the "Mr Cool" segment of Tube Tales
Honeymoon was optioned by Columbia Pictures in 2000 and is currently in development with a script by Jenny Bicks
, who has previously written episodes of Sex And The City
and Men In Trees
. Funny Valentine was optioned in 2004 by the Australian producer Jan Chapman
, who produced The Piano
and Lantana
.
An anniversary special of This Life was broadcast on BBC Two
at 9 pm on 2 January 2007.
In 2004 she married Jonathan Heawood
, Director of English PEN
, and they have one son.
Jenkins penned the biographical drama Daphne, screened on BBC2 in 2007, celebrating the centenary of the birth of Daphne du Maurier
.
Peter Jenkins (journalist)
Peter George James Jenkins was a British journalist and Associate Editor of The Independent. During his career he wrote regular columns for The Guardian, The Sunday Times as well as the The Independent....
and the stepdaughter of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
columnist and author Polly Toynbee
Polly Toynbee
Polly Toynbee is a British journalist and writer, and has been a columnist for The Guardian newspaper since 1998. She is a social democrat and broadly supports the Labour Party, while urging it in many areas to be more left-wing...
.
After attending Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
(which only admits young women to the sixth-form) she studied law at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. Jenkins turned to writing and in 1996 achieved her first significant success with This Life
This Life
This Life is a BBC television drama that was produced by World Productions and screened on BBC Two. Two series were broadcast in 1996 and 1997 and a reunion special in 2007....
, a BBC television drama
BBC television drama
BBC television dramas have been produced and broadcast since even before the public service company had an officially established television broadcasting network in the United Kingdom...
series about the lives and loves of a household of solicitors and barristers. She devised the series and wrote several episodes.
Other film, television and journalism work followed and in 1998 she secured a two-novel contract, her first novel, Honeymoon, appearing in 2000. Although it was the second biggest debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
of the year, selling over 250,000 copies in the UK and Commonwealth, critics noted that a central plot device in Jenkins' work possessed a striking similarity to the premise of Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
's play Private Lives
Private Lives
Private Lives is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It focuses on a divorced couple who discover that they are honeymooning with their new spouses in neighbouring rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetually stormy relationship, they realise that they still have feelings for...
. In Honeymoon a man and woman who seven years previously had a brief affair meet again when they find themselves staying in adjacent hotel rooms on their respective honeymoons; at the opening of Coward's play a divorced couple find themselves honeymooning in adjacent hotel rooms. Her second novel, "Funny Valentine", was published in 2002. She wrote and produced the feature film Elephant Juice, released in 2000. She has directed three short films including the "Mr Cool" segment of Tube Tales
Tube Tales
Tube Tales is a collection of nine short films based on the true-life experiences of London Underground passengers as submitted to Time Out magazine. The stories were scripted and filmed independently of each other...
Honeymoon was optioned by Columbia Pictures in 2000 and is currently in development with a script by Jenny Bicks
Jenny Bicks
Jenny Bicks is an American television producer and screenwriter, most notable for her work as a television writer on the HBO series, Sex and the City and as the creator and writer of the ABC series, Men in Trees....
, who has previously written episodes of Sex And The City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
and Men In Trees
Men in Trees
Men in Trees is an American romantic television dramedy series which premiered on September 12, 2006 on ABC and starred Anne Heche who played relationship coach Marin Frist. The series was set in the fictional town of Elmo, Alaska and concerned Marin Frist's misadventures in relationships...
. Funny Valentine was optioned in 2004 by the Australian producer Jan Chapman
Jan Chapman
Jan Chapman is an Australian film producer.Spouse= Jam Alex 2006-2010Films produced by Chapman include The Last Days of Chez Nous, The Piano, Love Serenade, Holy Smoke, and Lantana.Chapman met her first husband, film director Phillip Noyce, whilst studying English and Fine Arts at university in the...
, who produced The Piano
The Piano
The Piano is a 1993 New Zealand drama film about a mute pianist and her daughter, set during the mid-19th century in a rainy, muddy frontier backwater on the west coast of New Zealand. The film was written and directed by Jane Campion, and stars Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin...
and Lantana
Lantana (film)
Lantana is a 2001 Australian film, directed by Ray Lawrence and featuring Anthony LaPaglia, Kerry Armstrong, Geoffrey Rush and Barbara Hershey. It is based on the play Speaking In Tongues by Andrew Bovell, which premiered at Sydney's Griffin Theatre Company...
.
An anniversary special of This Life was broadcast on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
at 9 pm on 2 January 2007.
In 2004 she married Jonathan Heawood
Jonathan Heawood
Jonathan Heawood is director of the English Centre of International PEN. He is a former deputy literary editor of The Observer and editor of the Fabian Review. He writes on cultural and political issues for a number of publications, including the London Review of Books and the New Statesman...
, Director of English PEN
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
, and they have one son.
Jenkins penned the biographical drama Daphne, screened on BBC2 in 2007, celebrating the centenary of the birth of Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier
Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning DBE was a British author and playwright.Many of her works have been adapted into films, including the novels Rebecca and Jamaica Inn and the short stories "The Birds" and "Don't Look Now". The first three were directed by Alfred Hitchcock.Her elder sister was...
.