Martina Cole

Last updated

Martina Cole
Born (1959-03-30) 30 March 1959 (age 65)
Essex, England
OccupationWriter
Period1992–present
GenreCrime
Notable worksDangerous Lady; The Runaway; The Take
Notable awardsCrime Writers Award
Children2
Website
www.martinacole.co.uk

Eilidh Martina Cole is a British crime writer. As of 2021 she has released twenty-six novels about crime, most of which examine London's gangster underworld. Four of her novels, Dangerous Lady , The Jump , The Take and The Runaway have been adapted into high-rating television dramas. She has achieved sales of over fourteen million in the UK alone and her tenth novel, The Know, spent seven weeks on The Sunday Times hardback best-sellers list.

Contents

Early life

Eilidh Martina Cole was born 30th March 1959, in Essex, England, to Irish Catholic parents, and was the youngest of five children. Her mother was a psychiatric nurse from Glasnevin, County Dublin and her father was a merchant seaman from Cork City. Her cousin is the Cork politician Denis Cregan. She was expelled from her convent school aged 15 after allegedly being caught reading a Harold Robbins novel. [1] [2]

She married for the first time aged 16, but the marriage only lasted a year. She had her first child at the age of 18. [3] Her parents both died when she was in her early 20s. [1]

Prior to her literary success, Cole had a variety of low-paid jobs, including working as a cleaner, a wine waitress, an agency nurse and a supermarket shelf-stacker. [1]

Career

Writing

Cole's breakthrough came in 1991, when her manuscript for Dangerous Lady was accepted by the literary agent Darley Anderson and sold for a record £150,000. [4] The book was published by Headline the following year. [5]

Most of her novels feature a female protagonist or antihero, and some take place within the Irish community in and around London. [4]

In December 2011, readers using madaboutbooks.co.uk voted their favourite Martina Cole book. The Take won by 780 votes and was put at the top of the list of Martina Cole novels. Goodnight Lady came second, followed in third by Maura's Game.

Cole received the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers' Association in 2021. [6]

Television

A four-part TV adaptation of Dangerous Lady was broadcast on ITV in 1995, and in 1998 ITV broadcast a four-part adaptation of The Jump . The Take was serialised on British television on Sky1 in June 2009, which starred Tom Hardy as Freddie. Sky1 has also commissioned an adaptation of The Graft, which has yet to go into production. [7]

In March 2011 The Runaway , was shown on Sky1 and Sky1 HD. It is based on Cole's 1997 novel of the same name. [8]

In 2008 Martina Cole presented a drama documentary series on ITV3 called Martina Cole's Lady Killers, which told the story of six of history's most notorious female serial killers, including Myra Hindley, Beverly Allitt and Rose West. Cole explored the reasons why women kill, and why society is surprised when they do. Each programme told the story of an individual killer with expert analysis and dramatic reconstruction. The programme proved to be a ratings hit for ITV3 and transferred to ITV1 in 2009. [9]

Cole filmed an investigative documentary, Martina Cole Girl Gangs: Los Angeles for Sky1 in 2009. This focused on the role of girls in these gangs, which have been responsible for crimes ranging from drug dealing and car theft to robbery and murder. [10]

In 2014 she appeared in a documentary about Holloway Prison, called Inside Holloway.

Additionally, she has appeared on ITV's This Morning , The Crime Thriller Club, The Wright Stuff for Channel 5, ITV's popular daytime show Loose Women , The One Show and two episodes of Pointless Celebrities for BBC One, and a 2004 edition of The Culture Show .

Along with TV executive producer, Barry Ryan, Cole co-owns the film and television production company "2 Queens". [9]

Theatre

Three of Cole's novels have been adapted for the stage by the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, London: Two Women in 2010; The Graft in 2011, and Cole's first novel, Dangerous Lady in 2012. [11]

Other interests

In 2011 Cole founded her own record label, Hostage Music. The London-based band Alabama3 has signed up to the label. [12]

Personal life

Cole lives in a Grade II listed, 15th-century manor house near Sevenoaks, Kent. [1] She also has a house in northern Cyprus. [13]

She remarried in the 1990s, but the marriage ended in divorce. [14] She had her second child when she was 39. [4]

Cole regularly holds creative writing classes in UK prisons. [15] She is a patron of the single-parent charity Gingerbread, and also a patron of Women's Aid. [1]

Since her 20s she has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis after breaking both arms as a child. The arthritis has worsened over time, and now makes it painful for her when writing. [16] [17]

Books

Videography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV2</span> British free-to-air television channel

ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, a claim now held by its sister service ITV3 both of which are freely available to a majority of households.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV3</span> British free-to-air television channel

ITV3 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. The channel was first launched on Monday 1 November 2004 at 9 pm, replacing Plus. ITV3 is the sixth-largest UK television channel by audience share and the largest after the five main terrestrial services, the position which was previously held by its sister station ITV2. The channel is known for repeats of ITV dramas, and including sequential reruns of Agatha Christie's Poirot, Classic Coronation Street, Classic Emmerdale, Heartbeat, Inspector Morse and A Touch of Frost, amongst others, as well as formerly showing repeats of Kojak, Numb3rs, Columbo, Cagney & Lacey and The Bill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV4</span> British free-to-air television channel

ITV4 is a British free-to-air television channel which first aired on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger Aspect</span> British television production company

Tiger Aspect Productions is a British television and film production company, particularly noted for its situation comedies. Founded by Peter Bennett-Jones, its productions have included popular hits such as Mr. Bean and The Vicar of Dibley. The present-day company was founded in 1993 from the merger of Bennett-Jones' Tiger Television and Paul Sommers' Aspect Film & Television.

Anne Reid is a British stage, film and television actress, known for her roles as Valerie Barlow in the soap opera Coronation Street (1961–1971); Jean in the sitcom dinnerladies (1998–2000); and her role as Celia Dawson in Last Tango in Halifax (2012–2020) for which she was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. She won the London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Actress of the Year and received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the film The Mother (2003).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Jensen</span> Scottish actress and narrator (born 1969)

Ashley Jensen is a Scottish actress. She is best known for her roles as Maggie Jacobs in Extras, Christina McKinney in Ugly Betty (2006–2010), Agatha Raisin in Agatha Raisin (2014–present), and DI Ruth Calder in Shetland (2023–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plus (British TV channel)</span> TV channel run by Granada Sky Broadcasting

Plus was a digital channel run by Granada Sky Broadcasting. It was launched on 1 October 1996 under the original name of Granada Plus, and during its availability it underwent successive rebrands as G Plus, G+ and then simply Plus. However, it remained widely referred to by the public at large by its original name. On 1 November 2004, it was permanently closed down by ITV plc in an attempt to bring its replacement, ITV3, onto Sky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Griffin</span> British actress and television presenter (born 1976)

Angela Mellissa Griffin is an English actress, television presenter and director who has been active on British television since the early 1990s. She is best known for portraying the roles of Fiona Middleton in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, Kim Campbell in the BBC One school-based drama series Waterloo Road, and DS Lizzie Maddox in the final two series of ITV's detective drama series Lewis (2014–2015). Griffin was also an original cast member of Holby City, playing nurse Jasmine Hopkins (1999–2001).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermione Norris</span> British actress

Hermione Norris is an English actress. She attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in the 1980s, before taking small roles in theatre and on television. In 1996, she was cast in her breakout role of Karen Marsden in the comedy drama television series Cold Feet. She appeared in every episode of the series from 1998 to 2003 and was nominated for a British Comedy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claire Price</span> English actress (born 1972)

Claire Louise Price is an English actress. Her stage credits are extensive, her film and television credits include The Whistle-Blower (2001), Midsomer Murders episode "Tainted Fruit" (2001), Agatha Christie's Poirot episode "The Hollow" (2004), Rosemary and Thyme (2004), Rebus (2006-2007), Dalziel and Pascoe (2006), The Coroner (2015), The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015), and Home Fires (2015-2016), and The Capture (2022).

Sara Scott Griffith is a Scottish actress. She played Stella in Sugar Rush.

Nichola McAuliffe is an English television and stage actress and writer, best known for her role as Sheila Sabatini in the ITV hospital sitcom Surgical Spirit (1989–1995). She has also starred in several stage musicals and won the 1988 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in Kiss Me, Kate.

Left Bank Pictures Ltd. is a British film and television production company owned by Sony Pictures Television. It was formed in 2007 and was the first British media company to receive investment from BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime Thriller Awards</span> British media awards

The Crime Thriller Awards is a British awards ceremony dedicated to crime thriller fiction. The inaugural event was held on 3 October 2008 at the Grosvenor Hotel, hosted by comedian and Jonathan Creek actor Alan Davies. It was televised on ITV3 on 6 October, produced by Cactus TV. The ceremony was preceded by seven weeks of crime-thriller-related programming on ITV3.

<i>The Take</i> (TV series) 2009 British TV series or programme

The Take is a four-part British television crime drama series, adapted by Neil Biswas from the novel by Martina Cole, that first broadcast on Sky1 on 17 June 2009. Directed by David Drury, The Take follows the activities of criminal sociopath Freddie Jackson, who has recently been released from prison, only to find that his cousin Jimmy is attempting to make a name for himself on the back of his reputation. The series also stars Brian Cox, Kierston Wareing, Margot Leicester and Charlotte Riley among others.

<i>Mad Dogs</i> (British TV series) British black comedy and psychological thriller television series

Mad Dogs is a British psychological thriller television series, written and created by Cris Cole, that began airing on Sky1 on 10 February 2011, and ended on 29 December 2013 after four series and 14 episodes. It is produced by Left Bank Pictures, and co-produced by Palma Pictures. The series stars John Simm, Marc Warren, Max Beesley, and Philip Glenister as four long-time and middle-aged friends getting together in a villa in Majorca to celebrate the early retirement of their friend Alvo. After Alvo is murdered, the group find themselves caught up in the world of crime and police corruption.

<i>The Runaway</i> (TV series) 2011 British TV series or programme

The Runaway is a six-part British television crime drama series, adapted by Allan Cubitt from the novel by Martina Cole, that first broadcast on Sky1 on 31 March 2011. Directed by David Richards, The Runaway is set in the sleazy, gritty world of '60s and '70s London, and focuses on the doomed romance of East Londoners Cathy Connor and Eamonn Docherty. The series also co-stars Burn Gorman, Keith Allen and Kierston Wareing among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joanna Vanderham</span> Scottish actress (born 1990)

Joanna Vanderham is a Scottish actress. She was nominated for an International Emmy Award for her debut role in the Sky One crime drama The Runaway (2011).

Dangerous Lady was a four-part British mini-series TV drama, which aired on ITV and was based on Martina Cole's 1992 novel of the same name. The series premièred in 1995 and starred Sheila Hancock, Jason Isaacs, Susan Lynch and Owen Teale. Each episode lasted 60 minutes and was a Warner Sisters production for the ITV network.

<i>The Jump</i> (1998 TV series) 1998 British TV series or programme

The Jump is a four-part British television crime drama, written by Adrian Hodges and adapted from the 1995 novel by Martina Cole, that first broadcast on ITV on 6 September 1998. The series stars Adrian Dunbar as Alan Cox, an ex-con who offers to help Mafia wife Donna Brunos to spring her husband George from prison after he is put behind bars for a brutal armed robbery.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Cadwalladr, Carole (31 May 2009). "'The Booker prize money wouldn't even keep me in cigarettes'". The Observer. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  2. ↑ "'I've known people who went to prison'". The Scotsman. 15 October 2006. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  3. ↑ "Martina Cole - Sky Arts: The Book Show". Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 Ross, Deborah (3 November 2011). "Martina Cole: 'I know I don't write literature'". The Independent. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  5. ↑ Tirvan, Tom (8 February 2017). "Martina Cole: 'I was just this blonde from Essex, people didn't know what to do with me'". The Bookseller. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  6. ↑ Wood, Heloise (23 February 2021). "Martina Cole receives CWA Diamond Dagger". The Bookseller. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  7. ↑ Dowell, Ben (17 April 2008). "Sky to air Cole novel adaptations". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  8. ↑ Smith, Patrick (31 March 2011). "Martina Cole's 'The Runaway': Sky1 review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  9. 1 2 Shepherd, Robert. "The Broadcast interview: Martina Cole, crime author". www.broadcastnow.co.uk. Media Business Insight. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  10. ↑ "Sky 1 - Sky.com".
  11. ↑ "About Martina Cole". www.martinacole.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "Martina Cole: Woke up this morning, launched my own record label". The Independent. 22 October 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  13. ↑ Canlap, Anne (13 April 2016). "Chelsea lorry driver makes 'pilgrimage' to his favourite author's TRNC home". www.newcyprusmagazine.com/. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  14. ↑ "Martina Cole: Always look on the dark side of life". The Telegraph. 11 October 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  15. ↑ James, Erwin (28 October 2010). "Britain's queen of crime: Martina Cole". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  16. ↑ Walker, Tim (24 October 2013). "Martina Cole: Why writing has become agony". The Telegraph.
  17. ↑ Pemberton, Max (27 October 2013). "Martina Cole's arthritis is the real crime". The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.