- Jennifer Dawson
Jennifer Dawson, (
24 January 1929 –14 October 2000 ) was an English novelist. Her works explored the theme ofmental illness and society's attitudes to those suffering from such conditions. Born in London, she attended school inCamberwell and went on to read Modern History atSt Anne's College , Oxford. During her time at Oxford she suffered a breakdown and spent several months in Warneford Hospital, Oxford.Following the completion of her studies, she worked as a teacher at a convent in
Laval in France and later atOxford University Press where she made editorial contributions to a number of reference works. In addition to these roles, she also worked as social worker in a psychiatric hospital in Worcester and it was her experiences here and, as a patient of such an institution, that formed the basis for her debut novel "The Ha-Ha". The novel, which exploresschizophrenia , received considerable critical acclaim, being awarded theJames Tait Black Memorial Prize , being adapted for the stage byRichard Eyre and was later broadcast by the BBC on both radio and television.She continued to explore similar themes throughout the 1960's and 1970's via novels such as "The Cold Country", "Strawberry Boy" and "A Field of Scarlet Poppies". In the 1980's two further novels "The Upstairs People" and "Judasland"' were released by the
Virago Press .Awards and distinctions
*
James Tait Black Memorial Prize (1961)
*Cheltenham Festival Award (1962)Works
*"The Ha-Ha" (1961)
*"The Cold Country" (1965)
*"The Queen of Trent" (1972
*"Strawberry Boy" (1976)
*"Hospital Wedding" (1978).
*"A Field of Scarlet Poppies" (1979)
*"The Upstairs People" (1988)
*"Judasland" (1989)External links
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20001027/ai_n14359056 Obituary in "The Independent"]
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