Jonathan Coe
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Coe is an English novelist and writer. His work has an underlying preoccupation with political issues, although this serious engagement is often expressed comically in the form of satire
. For example, What a Carve Up! reworks the plot of an old 1960s spoof horror film of the same name
. It is set within the "carve up" of the UK's resources which some believed was carried out by Margaret Thatcher
's right wing Conservative
governments of the 1980s.
, Worcestershire. He was born on 19 August 1961 to Roger and Janet (née Kay) Coe. He studied at King Edward's School, Birmingham
and Trinity College, Cambridge
. He taught at the University of Warwick
, where he completed an MA and PhD
in English Literature.
He published his first novel in 1987. As of 2010, he has published nine novels. They have been well received and three have won literary awards.
Coe read an excerpt of The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim
to crowds at the Latitude Festival
. The central character was to be "a product of the social media boom," and "the sort of person with hundreds of Facebook friends but no one to talk to when his marriage breaks up.".
. The Rotters' Club was adapted for television and broadcast on BBC Two
. The Dwarves of Death (1990) was filmed as Five Seconds to Spare.
Jeremy Dyson
, author of The League of Gentlemen
, is adapting What a Carve Up! for Channel 4. This new TV project is in development with Big Talk (Black Books, Free Agents) but has yet to be formally commissioned by C4.
.
Coe is a lifelong fan of Canterbury progressive rock
. His novel The Rotters' Club is named after an album by Hatfield and the North
. He has contributed to the liner notes for that band's archival release Hatwise Choice. He recently said: "I'd love to find a pianist to collaborate with – maybe Alex Maguire, who is now playing with the reformed line-up of Hatfield and the North". Coe has also collaborated with flautist
Theo Travis
.
Coe wrote the sleevenotes 'Reflections on The High Llamas' for the 2003 compilation of The High Llamas
'Retrospective, Rarities and Instrumentals.'
In 2009, Coe took part in Oxfam
's first annual book festival – 'Bookfest'. Along with William Sutcliffe
, Coe volunteered for the Oxfam Bloomsbury Bookshop in London on Thursday 9 July. Coe and Sutcliffe were each asked to choose a theme, and to find books from the stockroom to set up in the shop's window. Coe chose satire as the theme for his display. He chose books about or by Michael Moore
, Bill Hicks
and Steve Bell
, and Tragically I Was an Only Twin: The Comedy of Peter Cook. He also unearthed a script of Terry Gilliam
’s film, Brazil.
Coe donated a story to Oxfam
's 'Ox-Tales
' project, four collections of UK stories written by 38 authors. Coe's story was published in the Earth collection.
Coe is an atheist
.
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
. For example, What a Carve Up! reworks the plot of an old 1960s spoof horror film of the same name
What a Carve Up! (film)
What a Carve Up! is a 1961 British comedy horror film directed by Pat Jackson. It was released in the United States in 1962 as No Place Like Homicide...
. It is set within the "carve up" of the UK's resources which some believed was carried out by Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's right wing Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
governments of the 1980s.
Early life and education
Coe was born in BromsgroveBromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
, Worcestershire. He was born on 19 August 1961 to Roger and Janet (née Kay) Coe. He studied at King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School is an independent secondary school in Birmingham, England, founded by King Edward VI in 1552. It is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, and is widely regarded as one of the most academically successful schools in the country, according to...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. He taught at the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
, where he completed an MA and PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in English Literature.
Career
Coe has long been interested in both music and literature. In the mid 1980s he played with a band (The Peer Group) and tried to get a recording of his music.He published his first novel in 1987. As of 2010, he has published nine novels. They have been well received and three have won literary awards.
Coe read an excerpt of The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim
The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim
The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim is the ninth novel by British author Jonathan Coe, first published in the UK on 27 May 2010. It has a picaresque plot, told by the title character in the first person as he journeys first from Australia to his home in Watford, England and then on a promotional...
to crowds at the Latitude Festival
Latitude Festival
The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006....
. The central character was to be "a product of the social media boom," and "the sort of person with hundreds of Facebook friends but no one to talk to when his marriage breaks up.".
Film and TV adaptations
Both What a Carve Up! (1994) and The Rotters' Club (2001) have been adapted as drama serials for BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. The Rotters' Club was adapted for television and 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...
. The Dwarves of Death (1990) was filmed as Five Seconds to Spare.
Jeremy Dyson
Jeremy Dyson
Jeremy Dyson is an English screenwriter and, along with Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, a participant in The League of Gentlemen.-Early life:...
, author of The League of Gentlemen
The League of Gentlemen
The League of Gentlemen are a group of British comedians formed in 1995, best known for their radio and television series.The League of Gentlemen may also refer to:* The League of Gentlemen ,...
, is adapting What a Carve Up! for Channel 4. This new TV project is in development with Big Talk (Black Books, Free Agents) but has yet to be formally commissioned by C4.
Musical collaborations
Music is a constant thread in Coe's oeuvre. He played music for years and tried to find a record label as a performer before becoming a published novelist. He had to wait until 2001 to make his first appearance on a record with 9th & 13th (Tricatel, 2001), a collection of readings of his work, set to music by jazz pianist/double bass player Danny Manners and indiepop artist Louis PhilippeLouis Philippe (musician)
Louis Philippe is a London-based French singer, songwriter, arranger and producer who has been active from the mid-1980s onwards...
.
Coe is a lifelong fan of Canterbury progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
. His novel The Rotters' Club is named after an album by Hatfield and the North
Hatfield and the North
Hatfield and the North were an experimental Canterbury scene rock band that lasted from October 1972 to June 1975, with some reunions thereafter.-Career:...
. He has contributed to the liner notes for that band's archival release Hatwise Choice. He recently said: "I'd love to find a pianist to collaborate with – maybe Alex Maguire, who is now playing with the reformed line-up of Hatfield and the North". Coe has also collaborated with flautist
Flautist
A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
Theo Travis
Theo Travis
Theo Travis is a British saxophonist and flautist.Travis received his degree in flute and saxophone from the University of Manchester and has worked among others with Robert Fripp, Gong, Porcupine Tree, The Tangent, Bill Nelson, Bass Communion, No-Man, Steven Wilson, David Sylvian, Harold Budd,...
.
Coe wrote the sleevenotes 'Reflections on The High Llamas' for the 2003 compilation of The High Llamas
The High Llamas
The High Llamas are a London-based musical group, formed by the Irish guitarist and songwriter Sean O'Hagan after the demise of his group Microdisney. O'Hagan writes and arranges the music and the rest of the group consists of drummer Rob Allum, keyboardist/cellist Marcus Holdaway, and...
'Retrospective, Rarities and Instrumentals.'
Personal life
Coe married Janine McKeown in 1989, and they have two daughters born in 1997 and 2000.In 2009, Coe took part in Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
's first annual book festival – 'Bookfest'. Along with William Sutcliffe
William Sutcliffe
William Sutcliffe is a British novelist.An alumnus of Haberdashers' Aske's School, Sutcliffe started his career with a novel about school life entitled New Boy , which was followed by his best-known work so far, Are You Experienced? , a pre-university gap year novel, in which a group of young...
, Coe volunteered for the Oxfam Bloomsbury Bookshop in London on Thursday 9 July. Coe and Sutcliffe were each asked to choose a theme, and to find books from the stockroom to set up in the shop's window. Coe chose satire as the theme for his display. He chose books about or by Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
, Bill Hicks
Bill Hicks
William Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...
and Steve Bell
Steve Bell
Steve Bell may refer to:* Steve Bell , first anchor of the ABC News program World News This Morning, previously reporter for WOWT-TV* Steve Bell , English cartoonist* Steven Bell, rugby league player...
, and Tragically I Was an Only Twin: The Comedy of Peter Cook. He also unearthed a script of Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
’s film, Brazil.
Coe donated a story to Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
's 'Ox-Tales
Ox-Tales
Ox-Tales refers to four anthologies of short stories written by 38 of the UK's best known authors. All the authors donated their stories to Oxfam...
' project, four collections of UK stories written by 38 authors. Coe's story was published in the Earth collection.
Coe is an atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
.
Novels
- The Accidental Woman, Duckworth, 1987
- A Touch of Love, Duckworth, 1989
- The Dwarves of Death, Fourth Estate, 1990
- What a Carve Up! or The Winshaw Legacy Viking, 1994 (winner of the 1994 John Llewellyn Rhys PrizeJohn Llewellyn Rhys PrizeThe John Llewellyn Rhys Prize is a literary prize awarded annually for the best work of literature by an author from the Commonwealth aged 35 or under, written in English and published in the United Kingdom...
) - The House of Sleep, Viking, 1997 (winner of the Prix MédicisPrix MédicisThe Prix Médicis is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by Gala Barbisan and Jean-Pierre Giraudoux. It is awarded to an author whose "fame does not yet match his talent."...
) - The Rotters' Club, Viking, 2001 (winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse PrizeBollinger Everyman Wodehouse PrizeThe Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize is the UK's only literary award for comic literature. Established in 2000 and named in honour of P G Wodehouse, past winners include Paul Torday in 2007 with Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and Marina Lewycka with A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian 2005 and...
). - The Closed CircleThe Closed Circle (novel)The Closed Circle is a 2004 novel by British author Jonathan Coe, and is the sequel to his 2001 novel The Rotters' Club. We re-encounter the main characters from The Rotters' Club - Benjamin Trotter, Doug Anderton and Philip Chase, and also become better-acquainted with some of the more minor...
, Viking, 2004 - The Rain Before It FallsThe Rain Before It FallsThe Rain Before It Falls is a lyrical novel written by British author Jonathan Coe. It describes the history of three generations of women directly or indirectly affected by events in post-war London and rural Shropshire...
, Viking, 2007 - The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell SimThe Terrible Privacy of Maxwell SimThe Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim is the ninth novel by British author Jonathan Coe, first published in the UK on 27 May 2010. It has a picaresque plot, told by the title character in the first person as he journeys first from Australia to his home in Watford, England and then on a promotional...
, Viking, 2010
Non-fiction
- Humphrey Bogart: Take It and Like It, London: Bloomsbury, 1991
- James Stewart: Leading Man, London: Bloomsbury, 1994
- Like a Fiery Elephant: The Story of B. S. JohnsonB. S. JohnsonB. S. Johnson was an English experimental novelist, poet, literary critic, producer of television programmes and film-maker.-Biography:...
, London: Picador, 2004 (winner of the 2005 Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction)
Honours and awards
- 1994, John Llewellyn Rhys PrizeJohn Llewellyn Rhys PrizeThe John Llewellyn Rhys Prize is a literary prize awarded annually for the best work of literature by an author from the Commonwealth aged 35 or under, written in English and published in the United Kingdom...
- 1997, Prix MédicisPrix MédicisThe Prix Médicis is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by Gala Barbisan and Jean-Pierre Giraudoux. It is awarded to an author whose "fame does not yet match his talent."...
- 2001, Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse PrizeBollinger Everyman Wodehouse PrizeThe Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize is the UK's only literary award for comic literature. Established in 2000 and named in honour of P G Wodehouse, past winners include Paul Torday in 2007 with Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and Marina Lewycka with A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian 2005 and...
- 2005, Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction
- 2006, honorary PhD from the University of Birmingham
External links
- Jonathan Coe's website and blog
- Closing the Circle: Jonathan Coe In Interview
- Online discussion about Jonathan Coe and B.S. Johnson
- "Letter from England: A Blairite Novel" Review of Coe's The Closed Circle in n+1N+1n+1 is a New York–based American literary magazine that publishes social criticism, political commentary, essays, art, poetry, book reviews, and short fiction. It is published three times each year, and content is published on several times each week...
magazine. - A one-hour interview about his writing (France-Culture, Bibliothèque étrangère, Francesca Isidori)
- Jonathan Coe on Writing
- Audio Podcast on BBC4's Bookclub
- Jonathan Coe reading from "The Rain Before It Fall" at writLOUD