Evan Jones (writer)
| Evan Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1927 Portland, Jamaica |
| Occupation | playwright, screenwriter, poet |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | Jamaican |
| Ethnicity | Afro-Caribbean |
| Education | Munro College, Jamaica, Haverford College, Pennsylvania |
| Alma mater | Wadham College, Oxford |
| Genre | TV drama, screenplays |
| Notable works | King & Country, Modesty Blaise, Funeral in Berlin, Wake in Fright, Escape to Victory |
| Spouse | Joanna Jones[1] |
| Children | Melissa,[1] Sadie[2] |
Evan Jones (born 1927 in Portland, Jamaica) is a poet, playwright and screenwriter based in Britain. He was educated in Jamaica, the United States and England. Jones taught at schools in the United States before moving to England in 1956 and beginning a career as a writer.
He wrote the scripts for the feature films King & Country, Modesty Blaise, Funeral in Berlin, Wake in Fright and several television plays.
Biography
Evan Jones was born in 1927, the son of a banana farmer. He grew up in rural Jamaica and was educated at the prestigious boarding school Munro College and Haverford College in Pennsylvania. He graduated from Wadham College, Oxford in 1952 with a BA (Hons) in English literature.[3] Jones taught at the George School in Pennsylvania and Wesleyan University, Connecticut. In 1956, he moved to England and earned his living as a writer of documentary drama, television plays and feature films.
His works include the television documentary series The Fight Against Slavery and several films directed by Joseph Losey, including Eva (a collaboration with Hugo Butler, 1962), King & Country (1964) and Modesty Blaise (1966). His other screenplays include Funeral in Berlin (also 1966), Escape to Victory (1981) and A Show of Force (1990). He is also notable as the author of Madhouse on Castle Street (1963), a now lost BBC television play, which featured the acting début of Bob Dylan.[4] Jones has also written poetry, biographies and novels for children.[5]
His wife, Joanna, is an actor and his daughters Melissa and Sadie are both novelists.[1][2]
Works
Television
- Madhouse on Castle Street, Sunday-Night Play (BBC, 1963)
- Old Man's Fancy, Armchair Theatre (Associated British Corporation, 1965)
- Go Tell It On Table Mountain, Thirty-Minute Theatre (BBC, 1967)
- The Fight Against Slavery, miniseries (BBC, 1975)
- The Mind Beyond: The Man with the Power, BBC2 Playhouse (BBC, 1976)
- Rehearsal, Centre Play (BBC, 1977)
- Gambling Lady, The Dick Francis Thriller (Yorkshire Television, 1979)
- A Curious Suicide, Chillers (FR3, France, 1990)
Films
- Eva (1962)
- The Damned (1963)
- King and Country (1964)
- Funeral in Berlin (1966)
- Two Gentlemen Sharing (1969)
- Wake in Fright, also known as Outback (1971)
- Ghost in the Noonday Sun (1973)
- Night Watch (1973)
- Escape to Victory, also known as Victory (1981)
- The Killing of Angel Street (1981)
- Champions (1984)
- Kangaroo (1987)
- A Show of Force (1990)
- Shadow of the Wolf (1992)
- Golgotha, in production (2010)
Books
- Protector of the Indians, Nelson, 1958
- Tales of the Caribbean: Anansi Stories, Ginn, 1984
- Tales of the Caribbean: Witches and Duppies, Ginn, 1984
- Tales of the Caribbean: The Beginning of Things, Ginn, 1984
- Skylarking, Longman, 1993
- Stonehaven, Institute of Jamaica Publications, 1993
Poetry
- The Song of the Banana Man
- Lament of the Banana Man
References
- 1 2 3 Roberts, Alison (16 June 2008). "Keeping up with Mrs Jones". The Evening Standard, archived at LexisNexis. London: Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
- 1 2 Kyte, Holly (13 May 2008). "Sadie Jones: 'It just wouldn't leave me alone'". Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
- ↑ Southwood-Smith, Donna. "Language as a vehicle for National Themes." (PDF). Washington Research Library Consortium. p. 10. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
- ↑ "Dylan in the Madhouse". BBC. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
- ↑ "Evan Jones". Heinemann Books. Retrieved 2009-12-12.