Tess Berry-Hart facts for kids

Tess Berry-Hart is a writer from Britain who creates stories for books and plays for the stage. They write for young people and adults. Their stories often explore important topics like helping people during the European migrant crisis, supporting LGBT rights, understanding mental illness, and new ideas like genetic engineering. Tess also writes special plays called verbatim theatre to help human rights causes and raise money for people who need to find new homes.

Early Life and Education

Tess Berry-Hart comes from a family of creative people. Their father, David Berry-Hart, is a painter and sculptor. Their grandmother, Alice Berry-Hart, wrote children's books and was a journalist. Tess's aunt, Marian Lines, also wrote plays and children's books.

Tess was born in Warwickshire, England. They grew up in Oswestry, near the border with Wales. From age 11 to 18, Tess attended Howell's School, Denbigh in North Wales on a music scholarship.

After school, Tess traveled for a year. They worked as an English teacher in Turkey and Pakistan. Later, Tess studied law at King's College London. They graduated with top honors.

Career Highlights

Tess Berry-Hart studied writing at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Their teachers included famous writers like Hanif Kureishi. Tess was chosen to represent young writers at a festival in Poland. Their first play, Legoland, was about dealing with difficult feelings and mental illness.

Tess's plays have been shown in many cities. These include London, New York, and Edinburgh. Their work has also been translated into German and Turkish. In 2019, Tess was a finalist for a special writing award in Wales. Since 2021, Tess has been part of the Writers' Group at the Sherman Theatre.

Theatre Productions

In 2016, Tess's play CARGO was performed in London. This play was inspired by young refugees Tess met in Calais, France. It tells the story of young people traveling to Europe in a cargo container. The play was later translated into Turkish and performed in Turkey.

In 2018, a theatre in Cardiff, Wales, asked Tess to write a new play. This play, called "The Story," was inspired by Tess's volunteer work during the Syrian refugee crisis. It premiered in 2019 and toured Wales and London. "The Story" later won an award for best transfer in 2020.

In 2021, Tess started developing a new play called "Last Flight." This play is based on their experiences helping during the evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021.

Verbatim Theatre

Verbatim theatre is a special kind of play. The lines spoken by the actors come directly from real interviews or documents.

In 2012, Tess created a verbatim play called "Someone To Blame." It was based on the true story of Sam Hallam. He was a teenager who was wrongly accused and spent seven years in prison. The play showed problems with his case. It was performed just before his second appeal. Sam Hallam was released after the appeal.

In 2014, Tess wrote another verbatim play called "Sochi 2014." This play was about the lives of LGBT Russians. It was written after new laws were passed in Russia that affected LGBT people. The play was performed in London, New York, and Los Angeles. Famous actors like Uzo Aduba performed in it.

In 2019, Tess helped create a short play for International Women's Day. It used stories from women workers around the world. Actors like Helena Bonham Carter performed the play live. The next year, for International Women's Day 2020, Tess created another play. It featured stories from people affected by climate change.

Young Adult Novels

Tess Berry-Hart has also written novels for young adults. Their first novel, Escape from Genopolis, was published in 2007. It was followed by a sequel called Fearless in 2009.

Helping Refugees

In 2015, during the European migrant crisis, Tess visited a refugee camp in France. After this visit, they became a coordinator for Calais Action. This group helped send aid to refugees in France, Greece, and other places.

Tess has spoken at important organizations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. They have also appeared on TV and in documentaries. Tess talks about the rights of refugees and the need for safe ways for people to seek asylum.

In 2016, Tess organized a special event to raise money for the Syrian refugee crisis. It featured new short plays and poetry. Many actors and comedians took part.

Tess is also a founder of the Citizens of the World Choir. This choir includes refugees, migrants, and their friends. In 2021, Tess volunteered to help LGBTQ Afghans after the Taliban took over Afghanistan. They worked with an organization that supports LGBTQ refugees.

Personal Life

Tess Berry-Hart identifies as non-binary. They use "they/them" pronouns.