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Evan Jones (writer)

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Evan Jones
BornEvan Gordon Jones
(1927-12-29)29 December 1927
Portland, Jamaica
Died31 July 2012(2012-07-31) (aged 84)
Shrewsbury, England
OccupationPlaywright, screenwriter, poet
LanguageEnglish
NationalityJamaican
EducationMunro College, Jamaica, Haverford College, Pennsylvania
Alma materWadham College, Oxford
GenreTV drama, screenplays
Notable worksKing & Country, Modesty Blaise, Funeral in Berlin, Wake in Fright, Escape to Victory
SpouseJoanna Jones[1]
ChildrenMelissa,[1] Sadie[2]

Evan Jones (29 December 1927, Portland, Jamaica – 31 July 2012, Shrewsbury, England)[3] was 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 in Portland, Jamaica, 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.[4] 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.[5] Jones has also written poetry, biographies and novels for children.[6]

His wife, Joanna, is an actor and his daughters Melissa and Sadie are both novelists.[1][2]

Works

Television

Films

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 (1962)

References

  1. ^ a b c Roberts, Alison (16 June 2008). "Keeping up with Mrs Jones". The Evening Standard, archived at LexisNexis. London: Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
  2. ^ a b Kyte, Holly (13 May 2008). "Sadie Jones: 'It just wouldn't leave me alone'". Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
  3. ^ Evan Gordon Jones profile, Rootsweb.ancestry.com; updated 20 March 2017.
  4. ^ Southwood-Smith, Donna. "Language as a vehicle for National Themes" (PDF). Washington Research Library Consortium. p. 10. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
  5. ^ "Dylan in the Madhouse". BBC. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
  6. ^ "Evan Jones". Heinemann Books. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
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