Jennifer Johnston (1) (1930–)

Jennifer Johnston was born in Dublin, Ireland and has lived most of her life in Northern Ireland. Her parents were actor-director Shelah Richards and playwright Denis Johnston. She was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. Her first two novels, The Captains and the Kings (1972) and The Gates (1973) are set in decaying Anglo-Irish manor houses. Many of her works explore Irish political and culture tensions. Often they concern interpersonal relationships and the difficult transition from childhood to adulthood. Her third novel, How Many Miles to Babylon? (1974) was adapted for the stage. Her book The Old Jest (1979) won the Whitbread Novel Award and was adapted into a 1988 film entitled The Dawning. She also has written short stories and plays, including Three Monologues: Twinkletoes; Mustn’t Forget High Noon; Christine (1995), and The Desert Lullaby: A Play in Two Acts (1996). She is a member of Aosdána, an Irish association of artists.