Lisa Jewell
Lisa Jewell | |
|---|---|
Jewell in 2018 | |
| Born | 19 July 1968 |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Popular fiction |
| Notable works |
|
| Children | 2 |
Lisa Jewell (born 1968) is a British author of popular fiction. Her books include Ralph's Party (1999), Thirtynothing (2000), After The Party (2010), Then She Was Gone (2018), Watching You (2018), The Family Upstairs (2019), Invisible Girl (2020), None of This Is True (2023), and Don’t Let Him In (2025).
Early life and education
Lisa Jewell was born in the West End of London on 19 July 1968, to Anthony and Kay Jewell, then raised in Totteridge with her two younger sisters. She attended St Michael's Catholic Grammar School in Finchley, North London.[1]
Jewell studied art and design at Barnet College, then attended the Epsom School of Art and Design, where she studied fashion illustration and promotion.[1]
Career
Jewell worked in fashion for several years, including at Thomas Pink. After being made redundant, Jewell took a creative writing course.[1] After a friend promised to buy her dinner if she wrote the first three chapters of a novel,[2][3] Jewell published her debut novel, Ralph's Party, in 1999.[4] It became the UK's bestselling debut novel of the year.[5]
In 2008, she was awarded the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance for her novel 31 Dream Street.[6] In 2024, Jewell won the British Book Awards for Crime & Thriller and Fiction Audiobook for None of This Is True,[7] which also won the TikTok Book Awards U.K. and Ireland for Book of the Year.[8]
In 2022, Jewell's Invisible Girl was banned from high school libraries in the Wentzville School District after the district was sued,[9] though the ban was later overturned.[10]
Two of Jewell's novels has been purchased for film production. In 2024, Netflix purchased the film rights to Jewell's 2018 novel, Then She Was Gone,[11] as well as her 2023 novel, None of This Is True.[12] Then She Was Gone is being adapted by British actress Catherine Steadman and produced by Crystal City Entertainment and Moonshot Films.[11] None of This Is True is being adapted by Eleanor Burgess and produced by Something Happy Productions and Modern Magic, with Jewell serving as executive producer.[12]
Personal life
Jewell married her first husband, who Jewell claims was emotionally abusive, circa 1991; the couple divorced in 1996.[2]
As of 2007, Jewell lived in Swiss Cottage, London,[1] with her husband and two children.[13]
Awards and honors
None of This Is True (2023)[14] and Don't Let Him In (2025)[15] are New York Times bestsellers.
| Year | Title | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 31 Dream Street | Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance | Winner | [6] |
| 2020 | The House We Grew Up In | Audie Award for Fiction | Shortlist | [16] |
| 2022 | The Night She Disappeared | Audie Award for Thriller or Suspense | Shortlist | [17] |
| 2024 | None of This Is True | Audie Award for Audio Drama | Shortlist | [18] |
| Audie Award for Thriller or Suspense | Shortlist | [19] | ||
| British Book Award for Crime & Thriller | Winner | [7] | ||
| British Book Award for Fiction Audiobook | Winner | [7] | ||
| Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award | Shortlist | [20][21] | ||
| TikTok Book Awards U.K. and Ireland for Book of the Year | Winner | [8] | ||
| 2026 | Don't Let Him In | Audie Award for Thriller or Suspense | Winner | [22][23] |
Publications
- Ralph's Party (1999)
- Thirtynothing (2000)[24]
- One Hit Wonder (2001)[25]
- A Friend of the Family (2004)
- Vince and Joy (2005)[26]
- 31 Dream Street (2007) — released in the U.S. as Roommates Wanted (2008)[27]
- The Truth About Melody Browne (2009)[28]
- After The Party (2010)[29][30]
- The Making of Us (2011)[31][32]
- Before I Met You (2012)[33]
- The House We Grew Up In (2013)[34]
- The Third Wife (2014)[35]
- The Girls (2015) — released in the U.S. as The Girls in the Garden (2017)[36][37]
- I Found You (2016)[38]
- Then She Was Gone (2017)[39][40][41]
- Watching You (2018)[42][43][44]
- The Family Upstairs (2019)[45][46][47][48]
- Invisible Girl (2020)[49][50][51]
- The Night She Disappeared (2021)[52]
- The Family Remains (2022)[53][54]
- None of This Is True (2023)[55][56][57]
- Breaking the Dark (2024)
- Don't Let Him In (2025)[58][59]
- It Could Have Been Her (2026)[60]
References
- ^ a b c d "About Lisa". Lisa Jewell. Archived from the original on 1 January 2007. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ a b Szewczyk, Elaine (30 June 2023). "Lisa Jewell Raced Through Writing Her Latest Novel". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "'Thank you, you miserable pasty-faced git, thank you'". The Guardian. 13 May 1999. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 3 January 2000. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "The craft of good writing: A masterclass with SJ Watson and Lisa Jewell". The Guardian. 12 November 2015. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ a b Dammann, Guy (19 June 2008). "Chick lit author on Dream Street with literary prize". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ a b c "Awards: British Book and Trade Winners". Shelf Awareness. 15 May 2024. Archived from the original on 12 February 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ a b Schaub, Michael (25 July 2024). "Winners of TikTok Book Awards Are Announced". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Students File Suit over Wentzville, Mo., Book Bans". Shelf Awareness. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Wentzville School District Overturns Bluest Eye Ban". Shelf Awareness. 1 March 2022. Archived from the original on 14 October 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Movies: Then She Was Gone". Shelf Awareness. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Movies: None of This Is True". Shelf Awareness. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Book Brahmin: Lisa Jewell". Shelf Awareness. 30 July 2014. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "None of This Is True". Kirkus Reviews. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Don't Let Him In". Kirkus Reviews. 19 April 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Anderson, Porter (4 February 2020). "Audio Publishers Association Names 2020 Audie Awards Finalists". Publishing Perspectives. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ Wang, Jessica (3 February 2022). "Barack Obama, Sam Heughan, and Oprah among finalists for 2022 Audie Awards: See the full list". EW.com. Archived from the original on 8 May 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ Anderson, Porter (30 January 2024). "The Audie Awards Names Its 2024 Finalists: 27 Categories". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ "The 2024 Audie Award Finalists". BOOK RIOT. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ "Awards: Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel, McDermid Debut Shortlists". Shelf Awareness. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Barnett, David (19 July 2024). "Jo Callaghan wins crime novel of the year with story of an AI detective". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Glyer, Mike (4 March 2026). "2026 Audie Award Winners". File 770. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (3 March 2026). "Audie Awards 2026: 'Sunrise on the Reaping' Wins Audiobook of the Year". Variety. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ "Thirtynothing by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 1 January 2001. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "ONE-HIT WONDER by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 27 May 2002. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Vince and Joy by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 7 August 2006. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Roommates Wanted: Until You Fall in Love... by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 21 January 2008. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Barnett, Laura (12 June 2009). "Chick lit". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Papailiou, Natalie (19 August 2011). "After the Party". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "After the Party by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 2 May 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Howard, Jessica (21 August 2012). "The Making of Us". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "The Making of Us by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 2 September 2013. Archived from the original on 7 December 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Howard, Jessica (26 June 2015). "The Third Wife". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Howard, Jessica (17 June 2016). "The Girls in the Garden". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 25 April 2016. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Howard, Jessica (12 May 2017). "I Found You". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on 7 December 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Howard, Jessica (15 May 2018). "Then She Was Gone". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell". Book Marks. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Dinh-McCrillis, Elyse (22 January 2019). "Watching You". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on 15 September 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Watching You by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of Watching You by Lisa Jewell". Book Marks. Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "The Family Upstairs Summary: Twists, Secrets, and Shocks". Thriller Book Review. 27 November 2024. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ Dinh-McCrillis, Elyse (22 November 2019). "The Family Upstairs". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on 14 December 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 22 August 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell". Book Marks. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Dinh-McCrillis, Elyse (27 October 2020). "Invisible Girl". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on 13 January 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell". Book Marks. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Howard, Jessica (23 June 2023). "The Family Remains". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "None of This Is True Review: Plot Summary & Key Insights". Thriller Book Review. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ Cogdill, Oline H. (10 January 2025). "None of This Is True". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ Dinh-McCrillis, Elyse (18 July 2026). "Don't Let Him In". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 26 March 2025. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell". Publishers Weekly. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.