The Donald Windham Sandy M. Campbell Literature Prizes
1 appearances
-
Edition 3 (2015) Winner
Helen Edmundson
へれん えどまんどそん
Helen Edmundson
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1964-01-01 （Liverpool, England）
- Nationality
- British
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Wirral Peninsula (childhood) → Chester (childhood) → London (professional base)
Career
- Occupations
- Playwright, Screenwriter, Producer
- Active Years
- 1990-
- Memberships
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (since 2015)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester University | — | Drama | — | — | United Kingdom |
Manchester University
Drama
Country:
United Kingdom
Studied drama at Manchester University
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Time Out Award | Anna Karenina (adaptation) | — | Time Out | winner |
| 1992 | TMA Award | Anna Karenina (adaptation) | — | Theatre Management Association (TMA) | winner |
| 1993 | John Whiting Award | The Clearing | — | John Whiting Award | winner |
| 1994 | TMA Award | The Clearing; The Mill on the Floss (adaptation) | — | Theatre Management Association (TMA) | winner |
| 2005 | Time Out Award | Coram Boy (adaptation) | — | Time Out | winner |
| 2006 | Laurence Olivier Award (nominated) | Coram Boy | Best New Play | Laurence Olivier Awards | nominated |
| 2009 | Laurence Olivier Award (nominated) | Zorro (musical) | Best New Musical | Laurence Olivier Awards | nominated |
| 2012 | Evening Standard Theatre Awards (nominated) | Swallows and Amazons (musical) | Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical (nominated) | Evening Standard | nominated |
| 2015 | Windham–Campbell Literature Prize (Drama) | For achievement in drama | Drama | Windham–Campbell Literature Prize | winner |
| 2016 | Broadcasting Press Guild Award | An Inspector Calls (TV film) | Best Single Drama | Broadcasting Press Guild | winner |
Time Out Award
1992
Work:
Anna Karenina (adaptation)
Organization:
Time Out
Result:
winner
TMA Award
1992
Work:
Anna Karenina (adaptation)
Organization:
Theatre Management Association (TMA)
Result:
winner
John Whiting Award
1993
Work:
The Clearing
Organization:
John Whiting Award
Result:
winner
TMA Award
1994
Work:
The Clearing; The Mill on the Floss (adaptation)
Organization:
Theatre Management Association (TMA)
Result:
winner
Time Out Award
2005
Work:
Coram Boy (adaptation)
Organization:
Time Out
Result:
winner
Laurence Olivier Award (nominated)
2006
Work:
Coram Boy
Category:
Best New Play
Organization:
Laurence Olivier Awards
Result:
nominated
Laurence Olivier Award (nominated)
2009
Work:
Zorro (musical)
Category:
Best New Musical
Organization:
Laurence Olivier Awards
Result:
nominated
Evening Standard Theatre Awards (nominated)
2012
Work:
Swallows and Amazons (musical)
Category:
Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical (nominated)
Organization:
Evening Standard
Result:
nominated
Windham–Campbell Literature Prize (Drama)
2015
Work:
For achievement in drama
Category:
Drama
Organization:
Windham–Campbell Literature Prize
Result:
winner
Broadcasting Press Guild Award
2016
Work:
An Inspector Calls (TV film)
Category:
Best Single Drama
Organization:
Broadcasting Press Guild
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Flying
1990 PlayAn early play by Edmundson, produced at the National Theatre Studio in 1990.
Human relationshipsSocial issues
Anna Karenina (adaptation)
1992 Play / adaptation of a classicA stage adaptation of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Toured nationally and internationally; won Time Out and TMA Awards.
Love and adulteryClass and morality
The Clearing
1993 PlayAn original play which won the John Whiting Award; one of her notable early works.
Power and moralityPersonal conflict
Coram Boy (adaptation)
2005 Play / adaptation of a novelAn adaptation of a novel, premiered at the National Theatre and later staged on Broadway; received multiple nominations and awards.
Abuse and redemptionHistorical memory
Adaptations
- [Stage (Broadway)] Coram Boy (Broadway production) (2007)
Thérèse Raquin (adaptation)
2014 Play / adaptationAn adaptation of Émile Zola's novel; staged on Broadway in 2015 with notable leading actors.
Desire and guiltFate and responsibility
The Heresy of Love
2012 Historical playA historical play about 17th-century Mexican nun Juana Inés de la Cruz; produced by the RSC and well received.
Religion and intellectWomen's rights
Small Island (adaptation)
2019 Play / adaptationAn adaptation of Andrea Levy's novel, produced at the National Theatre and named one of the top theatre shows of 2019.
Immigration and colonialismIdentity
Bibliography
- Flying (1990)
- Anna Karenina (play, 1992)
- The Clearing (1993)
- The Mill on the Floss (adaptation, 1994)
- War and Peace (adaptation, 1996)
- Coram Boy (play, 2005)
- Thérèse Raquin (play, 2014)
- The Heresy of Love (2012)
- Small Island (stage adaptation, 2019)
Adaptations
- An Inspector Calls (TV film, 2015)
- Mary Magdalene (film, 2018, screenwriter)
- Dalgliesh (TV series, writer & executive producer)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Noted for stage adaptations of classic literatureCareful handling of historical and biographical subjectsRealist emphasis on emotional detail
- Recurring Motifs
- Conflict between power and moralityFemale perspectives and voicesHistory and memory
Legacy
Helen Edmundson is a highly regarded playwright known for her stage adaptations of classic literature. With productions at the National Theatre, the RSC and on Broadway, she is internationally recognised and her works are used in educational contexts, securing her reputation as an important adaptor in contemporary theatre.
Academic Societies
- Royal Society of Literature (Fellow)
In Popular Culture
- Coram Boy has been used as a set text in A-Level Drama and Theatre Studies
Trivia
- Studied drama at Manchester University.
- Early career included acting with the female agit-prop company Red Stockings; wrote the musical comedy 'Ladies in the Lift' in 1988.
- Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2015.