Jonathan Myerson
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Myerson is notable as the husband of the leading novelist Julie Myerson
. He is also a British
dramatist and novelist, writing principally for television and radio.
His latest work includes Number 10
, a five-part series for BBC Radio 4
about a fictional Prime Minister
and his staff in Downing Street
., including an episode in which Saint Helena
is invaded by Angola
.
His animated film of The Canterbury Tales
was nominated for an Oscar (as animated short film
) in 1999 and won the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film in addition to four Emmys.
He is the author of two novels, Noise (1998) and Your Father (1999) and is a founding partner of "The Writer's Practice", a literary consultancy.
He was a Labour
councillor for Clapham Town Ward, Lambeth
from 2002 to 2006
He is currently the Course Director, MA in Creative Writing (Novels) at City University London's Journalism Department.
with his wife, the novelist Julie Myerson
, and their two children, Chloe and Raphael. The family was the subject of the "living with teenagers" column in the Guardian newspaper. It was revealed in 2009 that their third child, Jake, had several years earlier been thrown out of the family home by the parents for smoking cannabis
. Both he and his wife have been criticized for their lack of empathy and poor understanding of youth culture. In an article in The Guardian, Myerson reported that, upon hearing his son would achieve "A" grades at GCSE, he said: "He needs to fail one of these GCSEs. He needs to realise what he's doing.".
Julie Myerson
Julie Myerson is an English author and critic. As well as writing both fiction and non-fiction books, she is also known for having written a long-running column in The Guardian entitled "Living with Teenagers" based on her own family experiences...
. He is also a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
dramatist and novelist, writing principally for television and radio.
His latest work includes Number 10
Number 10 (drama series)
Number 10 is a drama series for BBC Radio 4 about a fictional British Prime Minister and his staff. The series was created by Jonathan Myerson, and produced by Clive Brill of Pacificus Productions, with Peter Hyman as Political Advisor. It has had four series to date, in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010....
, a five-part series for 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...
about a fictional Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
and his staff in Downing Street
Downing Street
Downing Street in London, England has for over two hundred years housed the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers: the First Lord of the Treasury, an office now synonymous with that of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the Second Lord of the Treasury, an...
., including an episode in which Saint Helena
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
is invaded by Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
.
His animated film of The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. The tales are told as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at...
was nominated for an Oscar (as animated short film
Academy Award for Animated Short Film
The Academy Award for Animated Short Film is an award which has been given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as part of the Academy Awards every year since the 5th Academy Awards, covering the year 1931-32, to the present....
) in 1999 and won the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film in addition to four Emmys.
He is the author of two novels, Noise (1998) and Your Father (1999) and is a founding partner of "The Writer's Practice", a literary consultancy.
He was a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
councillor for Clapham Town Ward, Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
from 2002 to 2006
He is currently the Course Director, MA in Creative Writing (Novels) at City University London's Journalism Department.
Family
He lives in South LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with his wife, the novelist Julie Myerson
Julie Myerson
Julie Myerson is an English author and critic. As well as writing both fiction and non-fiction books, she is also known for having written a long-running column in The Guardian entitled "Living with Teenagers" based on her own family experiences...
, and their two children, Chloe and Raphael. The family was the subject of the "living with teenagers" column in the Guardian newspaper. It was revealed in 2009 that their third child, Jake, had several years earlier been thrown out of the family home by the parents for smoking cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
. Both he and his wife have been criticized for their lack of empathy and poor understanding of youth culture. In an article in The Guardian, Myerson reported that, upon hearing his son would achieve "A" grades at GCSE, he said: "He needs to fail one of these GCSEs. He needs to realise what he's doing.".