Jonathan Smith (novelist)
| Jonathan Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1942 (age 73–74) Gloucestershire, England |
| Occupation | Novelist, writer, teacher |
| Nationality | British |
| Genre |
Historical fiction Semi-autobiographical |
| Children | 2 |
Jonathan Smith (born 1942) is an English novelist, writer and teacher. A career English teacher, he is best known for his novels and has written numerous radio plays.
Early life and education
Smith was born in Gloucestershire to a family of teachers originally from the Rhondda Valley in South Wales.[1] He was educated at Christ College, Brecon and read English at St John's College, Cambridge.
Career
Smith took up his first teaching job at Loretto School near Edinburgh in Scotland. After a brief stint at Melbourne Grammar School in Australia, he taught at Tonbridge School for the rest of his career and was head of English for 17 years.[1] He published several novels during his teaching career before retiring in 2003 to concentrate on writing. His former pupils at Tonbridge include Sir Anthony Seldon, musician Kit Hesketh-Harvey, novelist Vikram Seth,[2] poet Christopher Reid and actor Dan Stevens.[3]
Personal life
Smith and his wife Gillian have a daughter and a son. His son Ed was his former pupil at Tonbridge and is a former England cricketer and published author.
In 2006, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer, he and his son went on a trip to India.[2] It was the inspiration for his book The Following Game, published in 2011.[4]
His first novel Wilfred and Eileen was adapted for BBC television into a four-part serial.
He also wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of Summer in February, starring Dominic Cooper, Emily Browning and Dan Stevens, which was released in June 2013.[5]
His latest novel The Churchill Secret KBO has been adapted for a feature-length movie starring Michael Gambon to be screened around Christmas 2015 on ITV.
Bibliography
Novels
- Wilfred and Eileen (1976)
- The English Lover (1977)
- In Flight (1980)
- Come Back (1985)
- Summer in February. Abacus (1996). ISBN 978-0349107462
- Night Windows. Abacus (2004). ISBN 978-0349115313[6][7]
- The Churchill Secret KBO. Abacus (2015).
Autobiographical
- The Learning Game: A Teacher's Inspirational Story. Abacus (2002). ISBN 978-0349113883
- The Following Game. Peridot Press (2011). ISBN 978-1-908095-01-5
Radio dramas
Over twenty plays including:
- The Trenches Trip (BBC Radio 4)
- The Tennis Court (Radio 4)
- Portrait of Winston (Radio 4)
References
- 1 2 "The score so far". Times Educational Supplement. 11 May 2008.
- 1 2 "The best teachers will always bowl you over". The Guardian. 19 June 2011.
- ↑ "Dan Stevens: My Best Teacher". Times Educational Supplement. 23 September 2011.
- ↑ "Jonathan Smith's book on following his son Ed will resonate with every cricketing parent". Daily Telegraph. 26 July 2011.
- ↑ "British Films Directory: Summer in February". British Council.
- ↑ "Paperback of the week: Night Windows by Jonathan Smith". The Guardian. 24 July 2005.
- ↑ "Big head, small heart". Daily Telegraph. 24 October 2004.