Jane Harris (writer)
Encyclopedia
Jane Harris is a British writer of fiction and screenplays. Her most recent work is the critically acclaimed Gillespie and I. Her first novel, The Observations, was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction
2007. Waterstone's
, the UK bookstore chain, has chosen her as one of its 25 Authors for the Future.
, Northern Ireland, and spent her early childhood there before her parents moved in 1965 to Glasgow
, Scotland. On leaving school she studied English Literature and Drama at the University of Glasgow
, then trained as an actress at the East 15 Acting School
in London.
After a few years of trying different careers she worked abroad, variously as a dishwasher, a waitress, a chambermaid and an English language teacher. She began writing short stories during this period, while confined to bed in Portugal
with a bout of flu.
On her return to Glasgow several of her short stories were published in anthologies. In the early 1990s she was a regular panellist on STV's Scottish Books programme.
She went on to study for the MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia
under Malcolm Bradbury
. After gaining a distinction in her degree she completed a PhD at the same university.
After UEA came a two-year stint as the Arts Council Writer-in-Residence at HMP Durham (1992–4). Following this Harris worked as a script and novel reader for film companies and for The Literary Consultancy, and as a script editor. She also taught Creative Writing for many years, principally at the University of East Anglia
.
Harris lives in East London and is married to the film and TV director Tom Shankland
.
Reviews of her second novel, Gillespie and I, have remarked upon its themes of obsession and loneliness.
Harris's work is also notable for dealing with characters on the edge of society. Other common issues in her work centre on family, immigration, exile, national identity, (particularly Scottish and Irish), crime, prostitution, madness, poverty, sexuality, gender roles and hypocrisy.
Harris has been published in a wide variety of anthologies and literary magazines including New Writing 3, edited by Andrew Motion
and Candice Rodd, and in several volumes of New Writing Scotland.
Ascension 1979 was commissioned for BBC Radio 3's The Verb. Jane read the story when it was broadcast live from Radio Theatre at BBC Broadcasting House on 6 May 2011.
In 2001, Going Down (funded by Working Title
) was also nominated for a BAFTA and won prizes for Best Drama at the BBC Short Film Festival, Best Short at the Angers Film Festival and was runner-up in the Turner Classic Movie Awards.
Harris was shortlisted in 1999 and 2000 for the BBC's Dennis Potter
Awards.
It would appear that I am to be the first to write a book on Gillespie. Who, if not me, was dealt that hand?
As she sits in her Bloomsbury home, with her two birds for company, elderly Harriet Baxter sets out to relate the story of her acquaintance, over four decades previously, with Ned Gillespie, a talented artist who never achieved the fame that she maintains he deserved.
Back in 1888, the young, art-loving Harriet arrives in Glasgow at the time of the International Exhibition. After a chance encounter, she befriends the Gillespie family and soon becomes a fixture in all of their lives. But when tragedy strikes – leading to a notorious criminal trial – the promise and certainties of this world all too rapidly disintegrate into mystery and deception.
Featuring a memorable cast of characters, infused with atmosphere and period detail, and shot through with wicked humour, Gillespie and I is a powerful and haunting second novel from one of today's most striking new voices.
Text taken from the hardback edition of Gillespie and I
Daisy Goodwin in the Sunday Times has described it as, "Like a Hitchcock film, every detail is there for a reason. . . It is rare to read a literary novel where the storytelling is as skilful as the writing is fine, but in Gillespie and I, Harris has pulled off the only too rare double whammy – a Booker-worthy novel that I want to read again."
Arabella, her mistress, encourages Bessy to write her thoughts and experiences in a journal. She also subjects Bessy to odd experiments, but Bessy goes along with them because she is flattered by the attention and quickly grows attached to her mistress.
Things change when Bessy snoops in Arabella's locked desk and discovers the book Arabella has been writing, The Observations, a study of the "habits and nature of the Domestic Class."
Bessy is incensed to read criticisms of herself in the account, and also learns of Arabella's affection for one of her predecessors, a girl who died under mysterious circumstances.
Bessy concocts a revenge that ends up having consequences far more lasting than she ever envisioned …
The Observations is published in the UK by Faber and Faber
, in the US by Penguin
, and in Australia/New Zealand by Allen & Unwin. Since its release in the UK and US it has been published in the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Germany, Norway, Poland, France, Portugal, Sweden and Brazil. It is due to be published in Israel, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, Croatia, Russia, Turkey.. An audiobook version is available, narrated by the author. There is also a Danish audiobook version.
Jane Harris talks to Jane Garvey on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour in May 2011.
The Observations was adapted by Chris Dolan and dramatised on BBC Radio 4
Woman's Hour
in April 2007.
Orange Prize for Fiction
The Orange Prize for Fiction is one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary prizes, annually awarded to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English, and published in the United Kingdom in the preceding year...
2007. Waterstone's
Waterstone's
Waterstone's is a British book specialist established in 1982 by Tim Waterstone that employs around 4,500 staff throughout the United Kingdom and Europe....
, the UK bookstore chain, has chosen her as one of its 25 Authors for the Future.
Early life and career
Harris was born in BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland, and spent her early childhood there before her parents moved in 1965 to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland. On leaving school she studied English Literature and Drama at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, then trained as an actress at the East 15 Acting School
East 15 Acting School
East 15 is a British drama school in Debden, Loughton, Essex. At the main campus, Loughton, it occupies an 18th century mansion, Hatfields, and has its own theatre, the Corbett, which is adjacent. The Corbett Theatre is an adaptation of a 15th-century barn...
in London.
After a few years of trying different careers she worked abroad, variously as a dishwasher, a waitress, a chambermaid and an English language teacher. She began writing short stories during this period, while confined to bed in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
with a bout of flu.
On her return to Glasgow several of her short stories were published in anthologies. In the early 1990s she was a regular panellist on STV's Scottish Books programme.
She went on to study for the MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
under Malcolm Bradbury
Malcolm Bradbury
Sir Malcolm Stanley Bradbury CBE was an English author and academic.-Life:Bradbury was the son of a railwayman. His family moved to London in 1935, but returned to Sheffield in 1941 with his brother and mother...
. After gaining a distinction in her degree she completed a PhD at the same university.
After UEA came a two-year stint as the Arts Council Writer-in-Residence at HMP Durham (1992–4). Following this Harris worked as a script and novel reader for film companies and for The Literary Consultancy, and as a script editor. She also taught Creative Writing for many years, principally at the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
.
Harris lives in East London and is married to the film and TV director Tom Shankland
Tom Shankland
- Filmography :* The Children * WΔZ * Marple: The Moving Finger * Jericho * Family Business * No Night Is Too Long * Clocking Off * Going Down * Hearts and Bones * Bait * Bubbles - Awards :...
.
Themes in writing
The Observations was acclaimed for the playful and compelling voice of its narrator, Bessy Buckley, and for its humorous treatment of dark themes.Reviews of her second novel, Gillespie and I, have remarked upon its themes of obsession and loneliness.
Harris's work is also notable for dealing with characters on the edge of society. Other common issues in her work centre on family, immigration, exile, national identity, (particularly Scottish and Irish), crime, prostitution, madness, poverty, sexuality, gender roles and hypocrisy.
Short stories
Her short stories have received a number of prizes including the Penguin/Observer Newspaper Short Story Award, 1993. She was awarded an Arts Council Writer's grant in 2000.Harris has been published in a wide variety of anthologies and literary magazines including New Writing 3, edited by Andrew Motion
Andrew Motion
Sir Andrew Motion, FRSL is an English poet, novelist and biographer, who presided as Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2009.- Life and career :...
and Candice Rodd, and in several volumes of New Writing Scotland.
Ascension 1979 was commissioned for BBC Radio 3's The Verb. Jane read the story when it was broadcast live from Radio Theatre at BBC Broadcasting House on 6 May 2011.
Screenplays
Harris has written a number of award-winning short films, culminating in 2000 when Bait (funded by Film Four) was BAFTA nominated. The film won the Kodak Award and Best Short at the Newport Film Festival in the US.In 2001, Going Down (funded by Working Title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...
) was also nominated for a BAFTA and won prizes for Best Drama at the BBC Short Film Festival, Best Short at the Angers Film Festival and was runner-up in the Turner Classic Movie Awards.
Harris was shortlisted in 1999 and 2000 for the BBC's Dennis Potter
Dennis Potter
Dennis Christopher George Potter was an English dramatist, best known for The Singing Detective. His widely acclaimed television dramas mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social. He was particularly fond of using themes and images from popular culture.-Biography:Dennis Potter was born...
Awards.
Gillespie and I (2011)
Harris's second novel, Gillespie and I, was published to critical acclaim in the UK in May 2011. It is a chilling tale, largely set in the late 19th century, and involving anonymous letters, sleazy journalism and a notorious court case.It would appear that I am to be the first to write a book on Gillespie. Who, if not me, was dealt that hand?
As she sits in her Bloomsbury home, with her two birds for company, elderly Harriet Baxter sets out to relate the story of her acquaintance, over four decades previously, with Ned Gillespie, a talented artist who never achieved the fame that she maintains he deserved.
Back in 1888, the young, art-loving Harriet arrives in Glasgow at the time of the International Exhibition. After a chance encounter, she befriends the Gillespie family and soon becomes a fixture in all of their lives. But when tragedy strikes – leading to a notorious criminal trial – the promise and certainties of this world all too rapidly disintegrate into mystery and deception.
Featuring a memorable cast of characters, infused with atmosphere and period detail, and shot through with wicked humour, Gillespie and I is a powerful and haunting second novel from one of today's most striking new voices.
Text taken from the hardback edition of Gillespie and I
Daisy Goodwin in the Sunday Times has described it as, "Like a Hitchcock film, every detail is there for a reason. . . It is rare to read a literary novel where the storytelling is as skilful as the writing is fine, but in Gillespie and I, Harris has pulled off the only too rare double whammy – a Booker-worthy novel that I want to read again."
The Observations (2006)
Harris's acclaimed debut, set in Scotland in 1863, is narrated by the lively, sharp Bessy Buckley, who leaves Glasgow and happens into a job as a maid at Castle Haivers.Arabella, her mistress, encourages Bessy to write her thoughts and experiences in a journal. She also subjects Bessy to odd experiments, but Bessy goes along with them because she is flattered by the attention and quickly grows attached to her mistress.
Things change when Bessy snoops in Arabella's locked desk and discovers the book Arabella has been writing, The Observations, a study of the "habits and nature of the Domestic Class."
Bessy is incensed to read criticisms of herself in the account, and also learns of Arabella's affection for one of her predecessors, a girl who died under mysterious circumstances.
Bessy concocts a revenge that ends up having consequences far more lasting than she ever envisioned …
The Observations is published in the UK by Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. Faber has a rich tradition of publishing a wide range of fiction, non fiction, drama, film and music...
, in the US by Penguin
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
, and in Australia/New Zealand by Allen & Unwin. Since its release in the UK and US it has been published in the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Germany, Norway, Poland, France, Portugal, Sweden and Brazil. It is due to be published in Israel, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, Croatia, Russia, Turkey.. An audiobook version is available, narrated by the author. There is also a Danish audiobook version.
Radio
Ascension 1979, a specially commissioned short story, was read by Harris live on BBC Radio 3's The Verb in May 2011.Jane Harris talks to Jane Garvey on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour in May 2011.
The Observations was adapted by Chris Dolan and dramatised on BBC Radio 4
BBC 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...
Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour is a radio magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.-History:Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by Alan Ivimey the programme was first broadcast on 7 October 1946 on the BBC's Light Programme . It was transferred to its current home in 1973...
in April 2007.
The Observations – awards
- Prix du Premier Roman – France (2009)
- Waterstone's Book of the Month (April 2006)
- USA Book of the Month Club's First Fiction Prize (2007)
- Waterstone's 25 Authors for the Future
The Observations – shortlistings
- The Orange Prize for FictionOrange Prize for FictionThe Orange Prize for Fiction is one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious literary prizes, annually awarded to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English, and published in the United Kingdom in the preceding year...
(2007) - British Book AwardsBritish Book AwardsThe Galaxy National Book Awards are a series of British literary awards focused on the best UK writers and their works, as selected by an academy of members from the British book publishing industry...
, Newcomer of the Year (2007) - South Bank Show / Times Breakthrough Award (2007)
- The Saltire Society, First Book of the Year (2006)
- Glen DimplexGlen DimplexGlen Dimplex is an Irish-based consumer electrical goods firm. It is the world's largest electrical heating business and holds significant market positions in the domestic appliance industry worldwide...
New Writers Award (2006)