Howard, Elizabeth Jane

Elizabeth Jane Howard was born in London, England on March 26, 1923. She trained as an actress and, before the Second World War, acted at Stratford-upon-Avon as well as repertory theater in Devon. At various times she worked as a model, a broadcaster for the BBC (1939-1946), as an editor for various publishers, and as a writer.

She has been widely published as a novelist, journalist, reviewer, and has written plays for stage, film, and television. In 1962, she was Artistic Director for the Cheltenham Literary Festival, and in 1973, the Artistic Co-Director for the Salisbury Festival of the Arts. She married Sir Peter Markham Scott in 1942 (one daughter); James Douglas Henry in 1960; and Sir Kingsley Amis in 1965. A partial list of her publications includes: The beautiful visit (1950, winner of the John Llewelyn Rhys Prize, 1951), The long view (1956), The sea change (1959), After Julius (1965), Something in disguise (1969; television series, 1982), Odd girl out (1972), Mr. wrong (1975), A companion for lovers (editor, 1978), Getting it right (1982; film script, 1985), Howard and Maschler on food : Cooking for occasions (with Fay Maschler, 1987), The light years (1990), Green shades (anthology, 1991), Marking time (1991), Confusion (1993) and Casting off (1995), and Falling (1999), Slipstream (2002), Love all (2008); as well as scripts for the television series "Upstairs, Downstairs." She has contributed articles to Encounter, Sunday times, Daily express, The new yorker, and Town and country. In 2000, Elizabeth Jane Howard was awarded the Commander Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.).