Jonathan B. Keates

FRSL The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 600 Fellows, elec ...

(born 1946) is an English writer, biographer, novelist and former chairman of the

Venice in Peril Fund Venice in Peril Fund CIO is a British registered charity. It raises funds to restore and conserve the art and architecture of Venice, and to investigate ways to protect them against future risks, particularly rising sea levels. Although it foc ...

Biography

Jonathan Keates was born in Paris, France, in 1946. He was educated at

Bryanston School Bryanston School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) located next to the village of Bryanston, and near the town of Blandford Forum, in Dorset in South West England. It was founded in 1928. ...

and went on to read for his undergraduate degree at

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the ...

. He has written a number of acclaimed biographies and travel books, but his works of fiction have also received critical acclaim, most notably ''Allegro Postillions'', for which he was awarded both the

James Tait Black Memorial Prize The James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are literary prizes awarded for literature written in the English language. They, along with the Hawthornden Prize, are Britain's oldest literary awards. Based at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Uni ...

and the Hawthornden Prize. He is a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 600 Fellows, ele ...

. He is very interested in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

, and speaks Italian, French, Spanish, German and Portuguese. He also writes reviews in some magazines. In addition, Keates was an English teacher employed by the

City of London School , established = , closed = , type = Public school Boys' independent day school , president = , head_label = Headmaster , head = Alan Bird , chair_label = Chair of Governors , chair = Ian Seaton , founder = John Carpenter , special ...

"Author Jonathan Keates visits CLS"
City of London School. from 1974 to 2013 and a judge of several writing competitions. Keates retired in order to focus on his chairmanship of the Venice in Peril Fund. On his exit from the school in July 2013, having given a tearful farewell speech, he was given two standing ovations by the pupils and staff, and a 200-person dinner was given in his honour.

Awards and distinctions

(1983) * Hawthornden Prize (1983) *

Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 600 Fellows, elec ...

(1992)

Bibliography

*''Shakespeare Country'' (1979) *''Historic London'' (1979) *''Canterbury Cathedral'' (1980) *''Love of Italy'' (1980) *''Allegro Postillions'' (1983) *''The Companion Guide to the Shakespeare Country'' (1983) *''Drawings and Sketches of Oxford'' (1983) *''Handel: The Man And His Music'' (1985) *''The Strangers' Gallery'' (1987) *''Tuscany'' (1988) *''Italian Journeys'' (1991) *''Umbria'' (1991) *''Stendhal'' (1994) *''Venice'' (1994) *''Purcell: A Biography'' (1995) *''Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture'' (1997) *''Smile Please'' (2001) *''Short Stories'' (2001) *''The Rough Guide History of Italy'' (2003) *''The Siege of Venice'' (2005) *''William III & Mary II Partners in Revolution'' (2015) *''Messiah'' (2016)

Critical studies and reviews of Keates' work

* Reviews ''Messiah''.

References

City of London School

External links

Biography from the British Council
Living people 1946 births Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford English biographers English travel writers 20th-century English novelists 21st-century English novelists James Tait Black Memorial Prize recipients English male novelists 20th-century English male writers 21st-century English male writers English male non-fiction writers Male biographers Handel scholars {{england-writer-stub