Kolton Lee
Encyclopedia
Kolton Lee is a British film director, crime novelist and former journalist and Editor of The Voice
.
island of Montserrat
. They met in London
in the 50s. When the couple split and their two children were sent to a Surrey
based children's home, Reedham School. Lee was seven when he arrived there and remained there until he was 16. At Reedham, Lee discovered a talent for basketball
. He went on to represent his county and his country at levels under-17 and U-19 and became a full, senior international player when he turned 20. He combined his playing with attending Borough Road College, part of London University, to study English Literature.
A serious knee
injury cut his basketball
career short. He started working as a journalist
freelancing for a variety of sports publications, he found a full time job as a sports journalist
for The Voice
and later became the magazines editor
.
From there he left to join the News on Sunday
, the radical, left wing Sunday tabloid. In joining the news team as its News Editor, Kolton became the first black British
to be made the News Editor of a national newspaper. After 6 months the newspaper went bankrupt and Lee joined the BBC
as a documentary researcher.
He later attended National Film and Television School
. Upon graduating he working as a writer and/or director on a number of television programs including a stint at Crucial Films, the production company owned by Lenny Henry
.
In 1998 he moved to New York
where he lived for four years. While there he made his first independent short drama, American Mod. While living in New York, Lee wrote and performed his first play, An Evening with Michael Jordan at the National Black Theatre of Harlem.
He arrived back in London
in 2002 and promptly founded the Film
and Television
production company Prophet Pictures. Through Prophet Pictures, Lee has written, directed and produced his first feature film Cherps, winner of a Screen Nation Independent Spirit Film Award. His short film 'Blood' was bought by MTV
North America. Kolton's second feature film, Freestyle, was a youth romance with a basketball back drop.
Kolton's first novel, the contemporary crime thriller The Last Card, received positive reviews in The Guardian
and The Observer
, he is currently preparing a follow up for his publisher. Lee's second novel stars a sports psychologist who gets embroiled in dodgy dealings in a tennis camp for young stars.
The Voice (newspaper)
The Voice is a British national weekly tabloid newspaper owned by the Jamaican publisher, GV Media Group, aimed at the British Afro-Caribbean community. The paper is based in the London Docklands and is published every Monday.-History:...
.
Life and career
His parents came from the CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
island of Montserrat
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...
. They met in London
London
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...
in the 50s. When the couple split and their two children were sent to a Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
based children's home, Reedham School. Lee was seven when he arrived there and remained there until he was 16. At Reedham, Lee discovered a talent for basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. He went on to represent his county and his country at levels under-17 and U-19 and became a full, senior international player when he turned 20. He combined his playing with attending Borough Road College, part of London University, to study English Literature.
A serious knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injury cut his basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
career short. He started working as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
freelancing for a variety of sports publications, he found a full time job as a sports journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
for The Voice
The Voice (newspaper)
The Voice is a British national weekly tabloid newspaper owned by the Jamaican publisher, GV Media Group, aimed at the British Afro-Caribbean community. The paper is based in the London Docklands and is published every Monday.-History:...
and later became the magazines editor
Editor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
.
From there he left to join the News on Sunday
News on Sunday
The News on Sunday was a left-wing British tabloid newspaper. It was launched in April 1987. Publication ceased seven months later, in November 1987.-Origins:...
, the radical, left wing Sunday tabloid. In joining the news team as its News Editor, Kolton became the first black British
Black British
Black British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and...
to be made the News Editor of a national newspaper. After 6 months the newspaper went bankrupt and Lee joined the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a documentary researcher.
He later attended National Film and Television School
National Film and Television School
The National Film and Television School was established in 1971 and is based at Beaconsfield Studios in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, and it is located close to Pinewood Studios.-History:...
. Upon graduating he working as a writer and/or director on a number of television programs including a stint at Crucial Films, the production company owned by Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
.
In 1998 he moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where he lived for four years. While there he made his first independent short drama, American Mod. While living in New York, Lee wrote and performed his first play, An Evening with Michael Jordan at the National Black Theatre of Harlem.
He arrived back in London
London
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...
in 2002 and promptly founded the Film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and Television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
production company Prophet Pictures. Through Prophet Pictures, Lee has written, directed and produced his first feature film Cherps, winner of a Screen Nation Independent Spirit Film Award. His short film 'Blood' was bought by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
North America. Kolton's second feature film, Freestyle, was a youth romance with a basketball back drop.
Kolton's first novel, the contemporary crime thriller The Last Card, received positive reviews in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, he is currently preparing a follow up for his publisher. Lee's second novel stars a sports psychologist who gets embroiled in dodgy dealings in a tennis camp for young stars.
See also
- British African-Caribbean communityBritish African-Caribbean communityThe British African Caribbean communities are residents of the United Kingdom who are of West Indian background and whose ancestors were primarily indigenous to Africa...
- Crime fictionCrime fictionCrime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...