DURHAM LITERATURE FESTIVAL 2000

 

AMY JENKINS

Amy Jenkins was born and brought up in London. She went to Pimlico Comprehensive and Westminster School followed by University College London where she read Law. She worked as a trainee solicitor in a city law until she left to pursue her dream of becoming a writer.

In 1995 she gained her first official writing job, a rewrite of a feature film about a gang of girls in 70s Scotland for Working Title Films. In 1996 she created the BBC 2 television series This Life. She then wrote several film scripts, including one set at the Moulin Rouge in Paris for the BBC and an adaptation of I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith for BBC Films with the director Mike Newell. She also wrote a weekly column for the Express. In 1998 her first feature film, Elephant Juice, was produced by HAL-Miramax, Amy was also a producer on the project. In the same year she wrote and directed a short film, Blink, for Channel 4 Films. As well as television exposure, Blink gained nationwide distribution in cinemas as a short attached to a feature.

In 1998 Amy gained a two book deal with Hodder & Stoughton with the first chapter of Honeymoon. In 1999, she wrote and directed a section of the feature film Tube Tales for Sky Premierand is currently developing another original feature script, How to get a Boyfriend, with Andrew McDonald.

 

Honey is getting married to sensible, suitable and entirely dependable Ed. Her friends don’t quite believe it. Honey holds the record for screwing things up. Also, she’s never quite got over ‘the love of her life’ Alex. It was love at first sight. They spent one night together, he went back to the States, promised to ring and didn’t. Even though it was seven years ago she can’t quite get him out of her mind. On her honeymoon she finds herself in the same hotel as Alex. He’s also just got married – in fact, Honey’s sister Flora Feng-shuied his wedding! It has to be fate: they decide to elope.