Ronan Bennett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ronan Bennett
Bennett in 2019
Born	(1956-01-14) 14 January 1956 (age 69) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Education	St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Belfast
Alma mater	King's College London
Occupation	Novelist and screenwriter
Spouse(s)	Georgina Henry ​ ​ (m. 2003; died 2014)​
Children	2 (including Finn Bennett)

Ronan Bennett (born 14 January 1956) is a famous writer from Northern Ireland. He writes both novels and scripts for movies and TV shows.

He is best known for creating the popular British TV series Top Boy. He was the main writer and an executive producer for the show. Bennett also wrote the crime movie Face (1997) and the historical film Public Enemies (2009). He also wrote the TV miniseries Gunpowder (2017) for the BBC. More recently, he created the hit thriller series The Day of the Jackal.

Bennett was inspired to create Top Boy after seeing a young boy involved in street dealings near his home in Hackney, East London. The show explores the lives of people living on a council estate (a type of public housing) in London. It first aired on Channel 4 but was later brought back by Netflix, with help from the famous rapper Drake.

Early Life and Education

Ronan Bennett was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He grew up in a nearby town called Newtownabbey. He attended St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Belfast.

As a teenager, Bennett became interested in politics. This was during a difficult time in Northern Ireland's history known as The Troubles. Because of his political activities, he faced legal troubles. In 1974, he was wrongly accused of a serious crime and was sent to Long Kesh prison. A year later, the court decided the conviction was unsafe, and he was released.

After his release, he moved to England and continued his activism. He faced more legal challenges and even spent time in prison while waiting for a trial. He defended himself in court and was found not guilty in 1979.

Later, Bennett decided to focus on his education. He studied history at King's College London and earned a first-class degree. In 1987, he completed a doctorate, which is the highest university degree. His research was about crime in 17th-century England.

Writing Career

Bennett has used his life experiences and historical knowledge in his writing. He has written five novels and several screenplays for film and television.

Novels

Bennett's third novel, The Catastrophist (1997), made him well known. The story is set in the Congo around 1960, a time when the country was fighting for its independence. The book follows a journalist caught up in the country's political struggles. Critics loved the novel and compared him to famous writers like Graham Greene and Joseph Conrad.

His fourth novel, Havoc, in its Third Year (2004), is a historical story. It is set in a town in northern England during the 1630s, just before the English Civil War.

In 2006, his novel Zugzwang was published in a unique way. It was released one chapter at a time each week in The Observer newspaper.

Screenwriting

Bennett has written many popular scripts for TV and movies. He often writes about historical events and social issues.

• Top Boy (2011–2023): This is his most famous work. It is a drama series about gang life in a fictional estate in East London. The show has won several awards, including a BAFTA award for Best Drama Series in 2024.
• Gunpowder (2017): A three-part series about the famous Gunpowder Plot of 1605. It tells the story of Guy Fawkes and his group who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
• Public Enemies (2009): A movie about the American bank robber John Dillinger.
• The Day of the Jackal (2024–present): A thriller series that has been praised by critics and nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Personal Life

Bennett lives in London. He was married to Georgina Henry, who was a top editor at The Guardian newspaper. They met in college and had two children. Sadly, Georgina passed away in 2014.

From 2006 to 2012, Bennett co-wrote a chess column for The Guardian with chess expert Daniel King. The column used real game situations to teach chess strategy to both beginners and experts.

Bennett is also interested in politics. He is a member of the Labour Party and has supported its leaders, such as Jeremy Corbyn. He has said he believes in creating a society based on "decency and love."

Filmography

Feature films

• A Further Gesture, also known as The Break (1997)
• Lucky Break (2001)
• Face (1997)
• Public Enemies (2009)

Television

• Love Lies Bleeding (1993)
• A Man You Don't Meet Every Day (1994)
• Rebel Heart (2001)
• Fields of Gold (2002)
• The Hamburg Cell (2004)
• Hidden (2011)
• Top Boy (2011–13, 2019–23)
• Gunpowder (2017)
• The Day of the Jackal (2024–present)
• MobLand (2025)

Awards and nominations

See also

• List of Northern Irish writers