Jojo Moyes
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Pauline Sara Jo Moyes (born 4 August 1969), known professionally as Jojo Moyes, is an English journalist and, since 2002, an award-winning romance novelist, #1 New York Times best selling author and
screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...
. She is one of only a few authors to have twice won the
Romantic Novel of the Year Award The Romantic Novel of the Year Award is an award for romance novels since 1960, presented by Romantic Novelists' Association, and since 2003, the novellas, also won the Love Story of the Year (now RoNA Rose Award). In 2018, awards were given to ...
by the
Romantic Novelists' Association The Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) is the professional body that represents authors of romantic fiction in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1960 by Denise Robins (first president), Barbara Cartland (first vice-president), Vivian Stuar ...
and her works have been translated into twenty-eight languages and have sold over 40 million copies worldwide.


Life and early career

Pauline Sara-Jo Moyes was born on 4 August 1969 in
Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...
, England. Before attending university, Moyes held several jobs: she was a typist at NatWest typing statements in braille for blind people, a brochure writer for
Club 18-30 Club 18-30 was a holiday company working from its head office in Peterborough, that provided holidays for people aged 18–30 in typical party island destinations. Club 18-30 was sold on to Thomas Cook in 1998 and took around 45,000 guests ea ...
, and a minicab controller for a brief time. While an undergraduate at
Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public research university and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It has six schools, 21 academic departm ...
, Moyes worked for the ''Egham and Staines News''. She earned a journalism degree from City University as well as a degree at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, London University. Moyes won a bursary financed by ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' newspaper which allowed her to attend the postgraduate newspaper journalism course at City University in 1992. She subsequently worked for ''The Independent'' for the next 10 years (except for one year, when she worked in Hong Kong for the ''Sunday Morning Post'') in various roles, becoming Assistant News Editor in 1998. In 2002 she became the newspaper's Arts and Media Correspondent.


Writing career

Early in her writing career, Moyes wrote three manuscripts that were all initially rejected. With one child, another baby on the way, and a career as a journalist, Moyes committed to herself that if her fourth book was rejected, she would stop her efforts. After submitting the first three chapters of her fourth book to various publishers, six of them began a bidding war for the rights. Moyes became a full-time novelist in 2002, when her first book ''Sheltering Rain'' was published. She continues to write articles for ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
''. Moyes' publisher,
Hodder & Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint (trade name), imprint of Hachette (publisher), Hachette. History Early history The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs ...
, did not take up the 2012 novel ''
Me Before You ''Me Before You'' is a romance novel written by Jojo Moyes. The book was first published on 5 January 2012 in the United Kingdom. A sequel titled ''After You'' was released on 24 September 2015 through Pamela Dorman Books. A second sequel, ''St ...
'' and Moyes sold it to
Penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
. It sold six million copies, went to number one in nine countries, and reinvigorated her back catalogue resulting in three of her novels being on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list at the same time. Moyes would later write two sequels to ''Me Before You'': ''
After You After You may refer to: Songs * "After You" (Dionne Warwick song), 1979 * "After You" (Dan Seals song), 1983 * "After You" (Beverley Knight song), 2007 * "After You" (Pulp song), 2013 *" After You, Who?", a 1932 song by Cole Porter *"After You", a ...
'' in 2015 and ''Still Me'' in 2018. In 2013, it was announced that Michael H. Weber and
Scott Neustadter Scott Eric Neustadter (; born 1977) is an American screenwriter and producer. He often works with his writing partner, Michael H. Weber. The two writers are best known for writing the screenplay for the romantic comedy film ''500 Days of Summer' ...
had been hired to write an adaptation of ''Me Before You''. In 2016 the film adaptation ''
Me Before You ''Me Before You'' is a romance novel written by Jojo Moyes. The book was first published on 5 January 2012 in the United Kingdom. A sequel titled ''After You'' was released on 24 September 2015 through Pamela Dorman Books. A second sequel, ''St ...
'' was released and the screenplay was written by Moyes. In 2018, Moyes invested £120,000 in the
Quick Reads Initiative ''Quick Reads'' are a series of short books by bestselling authors and celebrities. With no more than 128 pages, they are designed to encourage adults who do not read often, or find reading difficult, to discover the joy of books. Quick Reads are a ...
, an adult literacy project. Her investment gave the program three additional years of funding. Her book, ''Paris for One and Other Stories'', is part of the 2015 Quick Reads collection, and she contributed a short story to ''A Fresh Start'', from the 2020 Quick Reads collection.


Awards and achievements

* Moyes' books have been translated into forty-six languages, have hit the number one spot in twelve countries and have sold over forty million copies worldwide. * Romantic Novel of the Year Award Winner (2004): ''Foreign Fruit.'' * Romantic Novel of the Year Award Nominee (2008): ''Silver Bay''. * Romantic Novel of the Year Award Winner (2011): ''The Last Letter From Your Lover.'' * Moyes first won the Romantic Novelists' Association's Romantic Novel of the Year Award in 2004 for ''Foreign Fruit'' and again in 2011 for ''The Last Letter From Your Lover''. She is one of few authors to have received this award twice. * Platinum Hall of Fame Winner for ''After You'' & ''Me Before You''; Neilsen Awards. * Gold Hall of Fame Winner for ''After You'' & ''Me Before You''; Nielsen Awards. * ''Me Before You'' hit the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' bestseller Top Ten chart in 2016 and spent 19 weeks on the chart. * American Library Association winner for ''Me Before You'', 2014. * Good Reads Best Fiction Award Winner (2018): ''Still Me.'' * ''The Giver of Stars'' is an international best-seller * Book of The Year Winner (2007), Good Housekeeping: ''Silver Bay.'' * ''Me Before You'' was nominated for Book of the Year at the UK Galaxy Book Awards. * ''The Giver of Stars'' was shortlisted for the 2020 Fiction Book of the Year in the
British Book Awards The British Book Awards or Nibbies are literary awards for the best UK writers and their works, administered by '' The Bookseller''. The awards have had several previous names, owners and sponsors since being launched in 1990, including the Nationa ...
. * ''Me Before You'' has sold more than 14 million copies worldwide. * ''Me Before You'' film adaptation awards: People's Choice Awards Winner for Favourite Dramatic Movie (2017); ASCAP Award Winner for Top Box Office Films (2017); Golden Trailer Award Winner for Best Romance (2017)


Books Written

* Sheltering Rain - 2002 * Foreign Fruit - 2003 * The Peacock Emporium - 2004 * The Ship of Brides - 2005 * The Horse Dancer - 2009 * The Last Letter from Your Lover - 2011 * Me Before You - 2012 * Honeymoon in Paris (eBook) - 2013 * The Girl You Left Behind - 2013 * Silver Bay (paperback) - 2014 * The One Plus One - 2014 * The Ship of Brides (paperback) - 2014 * After You - 2015 * Paris for One - 2016 * Still Me - January 2018 * The Giver of Stars - October 2019 * Someone Else’s Shoes - February 2023


Literary influences

Moyes' favourite book in childhood was ''
National Velvet ''National Velvet'' is a novel by Enid Bagnold (1889–1981), first published in 1935. It was illustrated by Laurian Jones, Bagnold's daughter, who was born in 1921. Plot summary ''National Velvet'' is the story of a 14-year-old girl named ...
'' by
Enid Bagnold Enid Algerine Bagnold, Lady Jones, (27 October 1889 – 31 March 1981) was a British writer and playwright known for the 1935 story ''National Velvet''. Early life Enid Algerine Bagnold was born on 27 October 1889 in Rochester, Kent, daughte ...
. She cites ''
Behind the Scenes at the Museum ''Behind the Scenes at the Museum'' is British novelist Kate Atkinson's debut novel, published in 1995. The book covers the experiences of Ruby Lennox, a girl from a working-class English family living in York. The museum of the title is York ...
'' by
Kate Atkinson Kate Atkinson may refer to: * Kate Atkinson (actress) (born 1972), Australian actress * Kate Atkinson (writer) Kate Atkinson (born 20 December 1951) is an English writer of novels, plays and short stories. She is known for creating the Jac ...
as a book that made her want to be a better writer, and she is inspired by authors such as
Nora Ephron Nora Ephron ( ; May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for her romantic comedy films and was nominated three times for the Writers Guild of America Award and the Academy Award f ...
,
Marian Keyes Marian Keyes (born 10 September 1963) is an Irish author and radio presenter. She is principally known for her popular fiction. Keyes became known for her novels ''Watermelon'', '' Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married'', ''Rachel's Holiday'', ''Las ...
,
Lisa Jewell Lisa Jewell (born 19 July 1968) is a British author of popular fiction. Her books include ''Ralph's Party'', ''Thirtynothing'', ''After The Party'' (a sequel to ''Ralph's Party''), and later ''Then She Was Gone'', ''The Family Upstairs'', ''Invi ...
,
Jonathan Tropper Jonathan Tropper (born February 19, 1970) is an American screenwriter, novelist, and producer. He is the internationally best-selling author of six novels that have been translated into over thirty languages. His last two novels, ''This Is Where ...
, and
Jane Austen Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...
.


Personal life

Moyes lives on a farm in Great Sampford,
Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, with her husband, journalist Charles Arthur, and their three children. Her animals include an ex-racehorse, Brian, and a rescued 58 kg female
Pyrenean mountain dog The Pyrenean Mountain Dog (french: Chien de Montagne des Pyrénées) is a breed of livestock guardian dog from France, where it is commonly called the Patou. The breed comes from the French side of the Pyrenees Mountains that separate France a ...
.


Bibliography


Novels

* ''Sheltering Rain'', AKA ''Return to Ireland'' (2002) * ''Foreign Fruit'', AKA ''Windfallen'' (2003) * ''The Peacock Emporium'' (2004)Review o
The Peacock Emporium
at ''Booklover Book Reviews''
* ''The Ship of Brides'' (2005) * ''Silver Bay'' (2007) * ''Night Music'' (2008) * ''The Last Letter from Your Lover'' (2008) * ''The Horse Dancer'' (2009) * ''Me Before You'' series: *# ''
Me Before You ''Me Before You'' is a romance novel written by Jojo Moyes. The book was first published on 5 January 2012 in the United Kingdom. A sequel titled ''After You'' was released on 24 September 2015 through Pamela Dorman Books. A second sequel, ''St ...
'' (2012) *# ''
After You After You may refer to: Songs * "After You" (Dionne Warwick song), 1979 * "After You" (Dan Seals song), 1983 * "After You" (Beverley Knight song), 2007 * "After You" (Pulp song), 2013 *" After You, Who?", a 1932 song by Cole Porter *"After You", a ...
'' (2015) *# ''Still Me'' (2018) *# ''Lou In Lockdown'' (2020), short story * ''The Girl You Left Behind'' series: *# ''Honeymoon in Paris'' (2012), novella *# ''The Girl You Left Behind'' (2012) * ''The One Plus One'' (2014) * ''
The Giver of Stars ''The Giver of Stars'' is a 2019 historical fiction novel by Jojo Moyes about packhorse librarians in a remote area of Kentucky. Set in Depression-era America, ''The Giver of Stars'' is the story of five extraordinary women and their journey thr ...
'' (2019)


Short stories

Collections: * ''Paris for One and Other Stories'' (2015), collection of 10 short stories and 1 novella: *: "Paris for One", "Between the Tweets", "Love in the Afternoon", "A Bird in the Hand", "Crocodile Shoes", "Holdups", "Honeymoon in Paris" (novella), "Last Year's Coat", "Thirteen Days with John C", "Margot", "The Christmas List"


Adaptations

* ''
Me Before You ''Me Before You'' is a romance novel written by Jojo Moyes. The book was first published on 5 January 2012 in the United Kingdom. A sequel titled ''After You'' was released on 24 September 2015 through Pamela Dorman Books. A second sequel, ''St ...
'' (2016), film directed by
Thea Sharrock Thea Sharrock (born 1976) is an English theatre and film director. In 2001, when at age 24 she became artistic director of London's Southwark Playhouse, she was the youngest artistic director in British theatre. Early life and education Sharro ...
, based on novel ''
Me Before You ''Me Before You'' is a romance novel written by Jojo Moyes. The book was first published on 5 January 2012 in the United Kingdom. A sequel titled ''After You'' was released on 24 September 2015 through Pamela Dorman Books. A second sequel, ''St ...
'' * ''Im Schatten das Licht'' (2020), TV-film directed by
Vivian Naefe Vivian Naefe (born 21 March 1953) is a German film director. Her films include the ''Die wilden Hühner'' series (based on novels by Cornelia Funke), ''Waves'' (based on the novel ''Wellen'' by Eduard von Keyserling), and two episodes of the p ...
, based on novel ''The Horse Dancer'' * ''
The Last Letter from Your Lover ''The Last Letter from Your Lover'' is a 2021 British romantic drama film directed by Augustine Frizzell and written by Nick Payne and Esta Spalding, based on Jojo Moyes' 2012 novel of the same name. It stars Felicity Jones, Callum Turner, Joe Al ...
'' (2021), film directed by
Augustine Frizzell Augustine Frizzell (born July 27, 1979) is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She made her feature film directorial debut with '' Never Goin' Back'' (2018). Early life Growing up in Garland, Texas, Frizzell attended South Garl ...
, based on novel ''The Last Letter from Your Lover'', distributed by
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...


References


External links

* *
Review of Silver Bay
in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
''
Biography and bibliography
at Curtis Brown Literary Agency {{DEFAULTSORT:Moyes, Jojo 1969 births Living people 21st-century English novelists 21st-century English women writers Alumni of Royal Holloway, University of London British women journalists The Daily Telegraph people English women novelists The Independent people RoNA Award winners Women romantic fiction writers Writers from London