Johnston, Jennifer (1930–)
Johnston, Jennifer (1930–)
Irish novelist. Born Jennifer Prudence Johnston, Jan 12, 1930, in Dublin, Ireland; dau. of Denis Johnston (playwright) and Shelah Richards (1903–1985, actress and director); m. Ian Smyth, 1951; m. David Gilliland, 1976.
Widely admired by critics of Irish literature, explored Irish political and culture tensions in such works as The Captains and the Kings (1972), The Gates (1973), How Many Miles to Babylon? (1974), The Christmas Tree (1981), The Railway Station Man (1986), Fool's Sanctuary (1987), The Invisible Worm (1991), The Illusionist (1995), The Desert Lullaby: A Play in Two Acts (1996), Two Moons (1998) and The Gingerbread Woman (2000). Received Whitbread Award (1979) for The Old Jest; was short-listed for Booker Prize for Shadows on Our Skin (1977).