Amy Jenkins

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Amy Jenkins (born 1966, in London) is an English novelist and screenwriter.

After studying law at University College London, she turned to writing and in 1996 achieved her first significant success with This Life a BBC television drama series about the lives and loves of a household of solicitors and barristers. She devised the series and wrote several episodes.

Other film, television and journalism work followed and in 1998 she secured a two-novel contract, her first novel, Honeymoon, appearing in 2000. It was the second biggest debut novel of the year, selling over 250,000 copies in the UK and Commonwealth. Her second novel, "Funny Valentine", was published in 2002. She wrote and produced the feature film "Elephant Juice", released in 2000. She has directed three short films including the "Mr Cool" segment of Tube Tales

"Honeymoon" was optioned by Columbia Pictures in 2000 and is currently in development with a script by Jenny Bicks, Sex And The City, Men In Trees. "Funny Valentine" was optioned in 2004 by the Australian producer Jan Chapman, The Piano, Lantana.

An anniversary special of This Life will be broadcast on BBC Two at 9pm on January 2, 2007.

In 2004 she married Jonathan Heawood, Director of English PEN, and they have one son. She is the daughter of the late political journalist Peter Jenkins, and the stepdaughter of The Guardian columnist and author Polly Toynbee.