AO4 key points on Diane Samuels - George

Diane Samuels was born in Liverpool in 1960. She was raised in the Jewish community of Childwall, Liverpool and went to Jewish schools in Liverpool from nursery to age 18. She left home in 1979 to go to her first non-Jewish school/university, Sussex College and studied history.  She worked as a drama teacher in inner London secondary schools and then as an education officer at the Unicorn Theatre for children before becoming a full time writer in 1992. She became a tutor playwriting for young people as part of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket's Master class scheme, has lectured part-time at Middlesex University, Oxford University, Goldsmiths’ College, London and Birmingham University on writing and drama. She has also worked as a writer-in-residence at Hugh Myddelton Primary school in Islington, north London, and now run a regular group for writers of all levels, one off workshops on a variety of themes, as well as writing children’s book reviews for The Guardian. Currently she is a participator in Exiled Writers INK’s writing and dialogue group “Across the Divide” for Jewish, Muslim, Israeli and Palestinian writers. 

Diane Samuels has a clear interest in children and teaching which is clearly shown through what she had devoted and dedicated most of her life to so far. She also grew up with a very strong Jewish background. She was born and raised in a Jewish area of Liverpool, went to only all Jewish schools until the age of 18 and only until then did she leave to go to a non-Jewish university. Also she worked in and ran many Jewish theatres and dramas in her Jewish community and helped to teach the Jewish youths how to write plays and perform in the workshops that she provided for them around the local area. In an interview about her feelings when returning to her primary school in Liverpool she states that, “Liverpool always feels like a warm nest when I return, but birds need to spread their wings and wider horizons beckon.”  She also goes on to explain that, “In the 1960s there were a couple of non-Jews in my class, but probably about 90 per cent of the school was made up of Jewish children; Now 25 per cent are Jewish. This open approach may be born of necessity in a dwindling community, now only 2,000 strong (there were around 7000 Jews in Liverpool when I was a child), but, in contrast to many other Jewish schools in the country, it is inclusive. And in this resides a particular kind of vitality.” However she ends this statement with the use of a rhetorical question, “Hebrew has general modern language status here now. Maybe Liverpool culture is to thank for this a bit. Who isn’t from an immigrant background of some sort in this city?”

In an interview she explains that her breakthrough moment was when the first production of “Kindertransport” directed by Abigail Morris for Soho Theatre Company aired at the Cockpit Theatre in 1993. Diane was 33 when it first aired. The production was moving and true to the play. The reviews were very good and people queued around the block for every performance for returns. It was very exciting.     

Despite her successes in her life being a writer/playwright is not always fun. She explains herself that the loneliness sometimes and the lack of daily support by others can have some negative effects on a person but the solitariness, the autonomy and the opportunity to spend her days creating other worlds and whole characters created positive bursts of energy that helps her get through the days and live her life and mind to its full potential.